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?

This happens all the time.
I passed on on the motorway 3 years ago.

@WitchyBitswhat if there is no power?

Basically "we've fucked everything up, essential IT systems, the water industry and most off our international relationships because of our huge unwarranted Tory egos. But will now happily blame you all if you aren't paired for the inevitable fallout from our incompetence.

Don't forget to vote conservative come July folks"

It's a national test to see how gullible and stupid we all are.

I’m in a Scandi country and we have had this for many years, but three days sounds too little.

This brochure has been sent out to all households.

https://www.haparanda.se/download/18.24e83a616b997088b4e802c/1566913845485/Om%20krisen%20eller%20kriget%20kommer%20(engelska).pdf

Those people who buy every day what they are having are wasting more money.

There's a couple who come in every day to buy two single satsumas for 30p each (60p a day). Whereas a string bag of 8 averages at £1.40 over the year. The single satsumas are the same size as ones in the string bags.

If buy a pack of satsumas every 4 days is £127.40. Buying 2 single satsumas every day is £219. That is £91.40 saving for just ONE product if they change their shopping habits. So in a year. people who buy like this for everything are probably wasting around £650 a year. Plus most that do this are on limited incomes.

We've always had a stock of water, tinned food and a go bag with our passports and other ID in it. I doubt we'll ever use any of it. But it makes sense to be prepared. Also saves hunting for passports when we need them.

Same in Germany. I'm surprised it's taken the UK government this long to be honest. It's been standard advice to German households for years to have a tinned/ambient food stockpile to last 10 days in an emergency. Plus bottled water for 5 days. The authorities are clear that if there's a major natural disaster (like flooding) or some serious incident, it may take time for emergency services to reach communities or for things to get back to "normal".

We saw that here in the UK with Storm Arwen a couple of years ago when a million properties lost power. Most were back up and running quickly but some households were without power for well over a week.

@SOxon @Pollipops1
I think what he was meaning was prepping announcements are a winter thing. Storms, power loss etc. very unusual to do this in may.

Have you seen Silent Night? A lovely Christmassy film about friends having a last party before they take their suicide pills.

Being taken out by a nuclear blast doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it might be nice to arrange a relatively peaceful death otherwise if you aren't killed in the blast. And beans could give you the waiting time you need.

I actually do. Solar panels and batteries set up so that it all still works if the grid is down. Enough to run both chest freezers even in winter.

@frozendaisy should be on catch up, that's what he was saying. Worked in this area for years and the timing makes no sense.

Winter weather yes, now no.

I was on the prepping threads around Brexit time and my little stockpile did me very well through the start of the pandemic as we didn't need to rush to the shops when everything went mad. Since then, I've always made sure we have a week's worth of food in and some spare loo rolls.

The one thing I've never bought is bottled water due to environmental considerations, but given the issue with the water companies maybe I should have a few big bottles in at least? We have a water butt but I can't imagine drinking out of that would be sensible.

We do have lots of wine and gin, however. So it's not all bad!

People in this country are badly prepared. In the past two years around me we’ve had whole villages cut off from water and/or power, and my own area has flooded.

Having enough in to tide you over is just common sense if you can manage it.

it usually takes a sharp shock to convince people though. For me it was a loss of income when I was a child that meant we were short on food. It was a salutary lesson.

Some years ago I started thinking about various 'what if' situations, such as if we needed to evacuate, or if we couldn't leave the house. I spent some time thinking about the practicalities, and have since made sure we have go-bags and several days worth of food and water. I'm nowhere near being a prepper and would probably not survive an apocalypse, but it's a fun project and was very helpful at the beginning of lockdown. I have a wind up radio/torch/phone charger and a water purifying straw thing.

This is fucking wrong.

How it has been reported, and the posts on here, is going to make very vulnerable people really quite frightened. So irresponsible.

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"
Something along those lines. But no that would mean some proper governing.

And then there are posts on here, the humble brag, we can chlorinate our private stream stuff. We are a G7 country (just) certainly G20 and people seem chuffed to be able to purify dirt water.

I can't be the only one who thinks this is utterly insane?

I am surprised that after covid anyone with the means to do this doesn’t already. I’m not a prepper or even very organised but some candles, lighters, few days’ food, a radio and torch feels like a minimum.

The one thing I've never bought is bottled water due to environmental considerations, but given the issue with the water companies maybe I should have a few big bottles in at least? We have a water butt but I can't imagine drinking out of that would be sensible.

You just need chlorine tablets and probably boil it too, to make sure anything in it is good and dead.

We have bottles of water in at home and in the car boot. They’ve proven handy many times.

Presumably partly in response to the recent water scandal as well

I have coffee. Happy to team up with the gin/wine crew. Would imagine that would be more fun that being stuck with the dried egg brigade.

@GameOfJones I remember the gasps of horror on here when I admitted to having some bottled water. I don't have loads, but I think a few litres are reasonable in case of emergency.

I agree that there is a lot of scaremongering. However, people should be preparing. People should not think they can just call a number and the government will magically fix things. An emergency response takes time and in serious situations can take days or even weeks.

Remember the snow in Scotland that left areas without power and cut off.

Wannacry stopped a lot of medical care being provided.

Covid wrecked the supermarkets’ just in time deliveries.

the whole point is that people need to be a bit self sufficient.

Yep we've been prepped for years. We have a large pantry containing long-lasting food, household supplies, lanterns, kerosene stoves, batteries, first aid supplies, wine It's common sense.

I can add powdered milk for the coffee and a large stash of chocolate.

I have several weeks stocked up. Not because I'm preparing for a massive disaster. Just smaller reasons eg getting snowed in during winter (it happens a lot. Only steep hills out of the valley and we get trapped here) or being ill etc. after the water issues I think down south and people getting ill and water needing to be boiled I decided to start stocking up a bit more on bottled water.

It's not Armageddon planning cos I wouldn't want to survive that anyway! It's just ok, if we cannot leave the house for a 2-4 weeks for whatever reason, will we be ok.

I think the longest we've ever been cut off because of snow was about 3 weeks.

And what COVID lockdown taught us is it's better to be out in the community helping, if you are able, than cowering at home with a stack of crackers.

Or get a gun. Then you can effectively get what you need/want! (Joking clearly that's the American crazies style although less effective if everyone has guns admittingly).