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?

Um what? Who planned nuclear war centuries ago before - nuclear weapons were invented?

It's the plastic that goes off not the actual water.

Or leaves or socks

No doubt 10 Downing Street has several years supply of food and it won’t be tins of baked beans!

Ok but it still goes off surely it would be better to advise to fill glass or metal containers with water?

Unless Rishi has a nice non executive position lined up at Evian? Which would make sense.

This one made me laugh 😂

I have about 1000 packet of crisps and I'm willing to eat all the Cornettos in my freezer if the electric goes off.

If its a nuclear war I'll be running towards the missiles, who'd want to survive that?

It probably makes sense to store 24 2L bottles in the gge, taking the 4 we use weekly from the gge store and replacing weekly.

Wondering about the point of pasta stocks if there's no electricity. I don't fancy a kettle over an open fire.

I usually have three days of stocks in.

During covid my mother told me it was de rigeour during the war to have supplies tucked away, despite rationing.

Pre-election bollocks.

Ramping up your fear of crisis and disaster. The idea is: only the Tories will keep you safe, Labour are soft and can't be trusted.

Expect lots more of this in the next six weeks!

As a camper I am quite well set up with BBQ and a bag of charcoal always in stock, two types of stove and gas… but they are stored in the shed so not accessible in the event of needing to stay in after a nuclear event.

Do I risk bringing the gas in?

Also the BBQ couldn’t be used indoors due to CO poisoning.

How quickly people forget the recent start of the pandemic, supermarkets stripped in hours by panicky idiots.

It's always a good idea to have a couple of weeks basic food supplies in stock, plus things like candles and battery operated radios to make evening bearable if the electricity goes off.

Mostly wine, we have a strict rule, lights out, wine comes out.

I everyone had done that there would have been much less panic at the start of the pandemic.

People in many parts of the UK have led such soft lives even the most minor bump in the road become a mountain.

I bet most people have thier phones insured, their property insured, their car insured, yet they do nothing to maintain their food supplies other than expecting shops to be fully stocked at all times, bonkers.

Agree.

Oh come on it's like everything else that gets discussed on here virtually no one is thinking of anyone else outside their household.

And we all know that suggesting to people they stock up means some go out and buy trolly full of water and toilet roll leaving nothing for anyone else. COVID lockdown brought out the best in some and the worse in some.

Like I said it's totally irresponsible announcing and reporting. The conspiracy and prepping nutters will have a great time though so there's that.

Some people can't cope if it's sunny or rainy or their tumble dry breaks or they run out of milk for tea or the neighbours get a cat or whatever.

Pending climate disaster is way beyond most.

Agreed.
So many people living hand to mouth, existing on generosity of food banks with no means to stockpile food. Immoral and shameful.

Goodness. I wish the world was as planned and ordered as that. Would make me feel safer.
Some people on here are absolutely bonkers. MN is just a hive of anxiety isn’t it

And people preaching that stockpiling at home means they can help others but in a day to day basis walk pass the food bank donations in the supermarket.

It's nonsense. Hypocritical bollocks.

I was thinking this. I have neither money or space to be prepping. I'm also a disabled wheelchair user. So, let the chips fall where they may, I guess.

@frozendaisy

I have camping stoves and bottled gas. I also have a log burner and bbq. The only way a lack of electricity would really affect me was my freezer defrosting and the refrigerated injections I use not being cold. But once the fridge has turned off I can use my jabs for two weeks so that gives me a 4 week window to get replacements. Otherwise I could live quite happily , albeit basically, for 3-4 weeks easy.

You'll get enough warning to run to the shed. Probably. That's what that text message test thing was a while back.

We have the camping stove to be used for brewing coffee in emergencies (well we did/do actually go camping in the summer months) and it was mainly used for brewing coffee there.

Is having enough supplies in for three days really stockpiling?

Would you help anyone else less fortunate?

Same here.
We've also got a dusty collection of bottles of local booze that we've brought back from holidays to eke out our meagre supply of water.

The fact that some people are idiots and respond to reasonable requests in a stupid manner doesn't mean that people shouldn't be informed of their responsibilities in an emergency. Because yes, we have responsibilities as well as rights, and one responsibility is to take care of ourselves for a limited amount of time in an emergency. Other countries, like mine, have made this clear for a long time, the UK is just playing catch up and once people stop overreacting and understand they have to play their part too then it won't be an issue.

Plenty of people think about their neighbours in times of crisis, maybe the people you know don't but I know everyone on my street will look out for each other and check on the more vulnerable if push came to shove.

It's really not. Some will, some won't. I think you're getting angry at the wrong people. Lockdown brought out the best in some and the worst in others. Either way, if people who had not considered having in a few days' surplus were to gradually do so, if they were able, it can only be a good thing.
Threads like this do tend to descend into 'what if there's a nuclear war' madness, but that doesn't mean it's sensible to rely on all systems working perfectly all the time. A three day buffer, or a few weeks if you are able, seems sensible.
I think a lot of older folk (I'm one) remember having a stocked pantry, because systems weren't as reliable as they are now. It wouldn't take a lot to wobble it, even just for a few days. Younger people have reasonably started being able to get anything at any time, for granted so it's a good reminder.

But for the argument some people can't stock up, isn't that more of a reason that those that can afford it have a small emergency supply?

In the event of a weather emergency leave what is there for those that can only afford to buy week to week, have some to share round, don't clog up the welfare stations with those who could have done something to prepare??