HM Gov telling us to get tinned food and bottled water?

[DecisionTime123]

Call me old fashioned, but isn't this sort of thing likely to provoke a run on toilet rolls? Couldnt find any other threads on it, but I think there is a "preppers" topic on here somewhere. In any case, what do you think? I'm sort of concerned, should I be? Or has this gone under the radar?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/25/uk-to-warn-citizens-to-stock-up-on-food-amid-threat-from-climate-crisis-and-hostile-states

I'm surprised this advice is a surprise to people.
having food/water/batteries for 3 days is good practice.
we had a power cut for 2 days earlier this year. was glad that all powebanks/led lights were charged and we had food that didn't need cooking.

I'm honestly reading this thread and seeing people who make their lives small. It sounds like you are all living in bunkers.

What a ridiculous comment. How is being sensible and having a stock of food like living in a bunker?

Me and DH like cooking and like having a choice of what to cook rather than "Oh we only have mushrooms and pasta so will have to eat that". We know we can make a good variety of meals such as curries, chilli, pasta dishes, rice dishes, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, different pies/quiches. We can also make bread, not just white or brown but also different indian breads.

Also no way on earth do either of us wish to go food shopping all the time. It was great during covid that we did not have to go shopping at all for ages.

Unless you have a massive space, any tins/water you keep will only last a few days (sensible enough, as you could be ill/have a problem with the water/power etc).
And after that, unless you have a hidden secure underground bunker, if rioting and chaos did ensue, people would nick it. So I don't see the point in stockpiling.

yup but IMO if you want it to be yummy and not just "food" add a stock cube or a bit of one to the rehydration water. Same with instant packet mash which is another good idea, The Idahoan one is better but costs more but doesn't need a stock cube

depends what you mean by stockpiling. I agree if its going to go on for months you'd be stuffed.

Use if for washing or flushing the loo in the event of a bad situation, don't throw it away 😔

I won’t throw water away don’t worry. But I don’t feel like adding to it with new stuff so it’ll probably just sit there not really useable.

I don’t really want to get into buying water often.

there may come a time when out of date water is better than no water. I am not talking about armageddon, a couple of years ago we had no mains water for a week! I washed and flushed using water water butt water and drank the out of date stuff. I am still alive.

Yes I’ll keep it anyway

Gov has released several advice things about this over the past couple of years, its a sensible thing and doesn't mean ww3 is on the doorstep, there are a whole bunch of different reasons, why its good to have supplies in the house, so you can take the ease off the services in any kind of emergency situation, so they only need to deal with the most vunerable. It's not a survive off your beans until the end of time situ, its basically to give emergency services etc, some breathing room, so they're not having to feed/water the entire village/town/city/country (whatever the situation is).

I worked in retail until recently. You don't just go in first thing in the morning and open up a modern till. Many need an electronic function and a human function release them for operation - only other ways of opening them up, would be smashing the up.

You'd have to look at local small stores, who might have a more simple system.

You're right that preparing for something that may happen has the effect of reducing anxiety, but what it also does is make you objectively better prepared for that event if it happens. Assuming the preparation is low key and not extreme (so like buying extra then rotating so nothing is wasted), then you're fine whether or not the event happens.

The other approach of shying away from even thinking about the possible event, to reduce anxiety, sometimes also scoffing at people who do prefer to take action, also reduces anxiety but does nothing at all to help you if the event happens.

I do sympathise with people who are thrown into such anxiety that they can't bear to think about something like this (I don't sympathise with the scoffing bit though). That doesn't change the fact that it would still be better for them, their family and their neighbours if they could bring themselves to do at least the minimal 3 days worth of preparing.

Anyone who is prepared for a water company fuck up or an extended power cut is already a bit prepared for worse things like the results of a cyber attack. You don't have to think about the worst case scenarios at all really to make yourself a bit more resilient.

It takes you 3 minutes to turn a tap on? 10 seconds for me if I include running up and down the stairs. 2m 50s left to do whatever you're doing. What are you planning to do? 😆

Get plastered AF.

And that nicely leads to Top Tip number 2. Cash will have no value after the apocalypse. Ensure that you have a large supply of Whiskey, Chocolate and other tradables.

Don't listen to the fearmongers talking about rioters and home invaders. They wont have survived the first week without their baths being full!

I do understand that....I really do get that these discussions can cause some people to worry. Really my response was to the comment about preppers making their lives smaller when it isn't that at all. It's about building in a bit of resilience and being in a position to help ourselves and other people. And yes, it's about taking action to mitigate any worry we may feel.

I actually find preppers a really decent bunch of people on the whole. Happy to give advice or suggestions and to be able to help themselves, their friends and their neighbours so the most vulnerable in society can access the support first.

What I don't have time for are people that could follow the government advice but choose not to and belittle others for doing so or accuse them of being tin hat conspiracy theorists. I'm not sure whether it happens in other countries but it does seem to be a common reaction here (including on this thread.)

I don't think anyone wants to cause other people more anxiety. If anything I think people are sharing their suggestions to try and help others. If someone reads this thread and then starts adding one or two items to their weekly shop so they have a buffer of a few days of food and water if they need it then I think that's great.

If it causes people anxiety and they don't want to prepare then that's their decision. If they are anxious and they can't prepare then other people doing so means they're not cluttering up the queues if one of these reasonably common events does happen.

Actually, if you just turn on the tap and leave it then how are you planning of finding, and paying, a plumber after The Event?

Very unwise of you.

Spot on 👏🏼

Most crises that a stockpile would be needed for would be over in a few days (extreme weather, powercut, cyber attack affecting banking) so its enough for that, and for anything that lasts longer it gives the government time to sort out assistance.

No one has to think about the worst case in order to be ready for loss of utilities or a spell of terrible weather. TBH if worrying about a powercut is something that you can't think about because of anxiety, you've got bigger problems than the end of days

I don’t need anything for a power cut. Phone, charged in car does me until the power comes back on.

you’re not talking about “prepping” for a few hours power cut

You do understand that it’s not just about if the shit hits the fan. This reasoning is so odd.

A simple power cut or a cyber attack that lasts for a week or so. Or more. There is a point. And if you don’t like the Governments advice then try thinking for yourself and have some common sense.

How do you know a power cut will only last for a couple of hours?

Because 2 things can’t be true- that only idiots get anxious about a power cut, and simultaneously that power cut lasts along enough to seriously disrupt life.

we don’t have extended power cuts in the uk. If we were to have one, you’d probably agree that idea is a something one could legitimately be anxious about, right?

powercuts round me often are not a few hours and I lose heating and hot water too. A couple of years ago we had no water for 7 days. I could manage during a "few hour" powercut but its more comfortable to be able to have some light, a hot drink or a hot meal without having to go out to get it. But its your choice....no one is making you do anything....but not doing anything like keeping a few cans of food and a couple of bottles of water in the cupboard because you are too anxious to do it????? that's batshit