Your ‘emergency supplies/stockpile’.

[ohyouagainclarence]

Has anyone else started stashing a few things away in the event of some kind of ‘national emergency’ and if so, what sort of things are you storing?

I’m certainly not going to turn into a prepper but as I have plenty of storage space, I’ve got two big plastic boxes filled with dried goods (rice/pasta etc) and then some tinned stuff. I’ve also stocked up on batteries, candles and matches and I bought a solar charger. And oh, got two 5 litre bottles of water.

The temptation to go a bit nuts and plan for Armageddon is high! 😂😂 But I’m being sensible and just having enough for the basics to keep us going for about a week. I’m also cycling through the food so it doesn’t get wasted - use a tin of beans and then replace it etc.

@FairKoala I’ve been buying a few extra tins/bags of pasta and rice etc for months now, and there’s never been empty shelves in the supermarket. I don’t recognise what you’re describing. Nobody is reporting empty shelves.

Well there are lots on this thread who
have no idea of this advice which has
been out for weeks so it’s not
exactly leading to stockpiling panic is it?!

It’s in the government’s benefit if those that can do so gradually build up a back up to leave food for those that haven’t or can’t prepare. As a country we work on a 3 day cycle there’s enough for all of us for 3 days only.

We have had plenty of apples from our trees but they are inedible. I assume down to lack of rain during the summer. They are bitter and chalky and downright unpleasant.

Joining this thread rather late (as there are a few others on this topic) but...

Let's all take a breath and consider the GOV advice of NOT STOCKPILING

The government is actually advising us to stock up 3 days worth of food/water/medicine/essential stuff. There are articles all over the 'net right now about it. Here's one such article from the Independent:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/stock-up-on-food-uk-essentials-drought-russia-cyberattack-b3053965.html

Why? A new public information drive is set to encourage people to prepare for extreme weather, cyber attacks and hostile state action.

This has been normal practice throughout much of Europe and further afield for a long time. The UK is just catching up now (about time!).

A useful article on what to consider when planning what to store

https://theconversation.com/how-to-build-a-nutritious-emergency-food-stockpile-291475

I've been prepping for the past decade, I actually discount anything I may have in my fridge/freezer, anything I can use from them would be a bonus extra. I have tinned foods and bottled water, and recently bought a camping stove as I don't want to rely on neighbour's goodwill for heating water when I could do it myself. I also have the added challenge of having to be gluten free (which did inspire me to prep as I cannot just make do with pasta or regular flour).

I do want to mention the cold as I think only a couple of folks have done so. No power will mean your house will get colder and colder unless you have some alternative way to heat it. This will be compounded if you have no hot meals or drinks so do make sure you have sufficient warm clothes and blankets available.

The supermarkets near me have empty shelves.
There wasn’t a single piece of fruit in my local Tesco’s last week.

There has been aisles in the freezer and chill sections where you get the last dregs of some lines or just empty fridges and freezers

It’s like the locusts have swarmed in.

But, people who are creating their three day stockpile are not buying fruit and veg to do it, because those don't keep.

If your supermarket shelves are empty of these (I've not noticed this at all) then it's for a different reason.

I'm sorry you lost your job but overall I think the new employment law changes are good for workers - you must have worked for a pretty crap employer.

This has almost definitely been more to do with the long hot dry summer than anything mentioned on this thread.

And is an example of some of the issues we may be facing.

You could have prepped for this by having tinned or frozen fruit and veg in your pantry.

My Lidl was absolutely fine yesterday despite hoards of freshers!

3 days to recover from a devastating cyber attack or missile strikes?

😅

It's not "three days to recover" is it? It's three days of stuff to keep you going while the govt sorts out support etc.

I heard on radio 4 that food businesses work on a 3 day food supply cycle as it’s the most cost effective for them.

Re the CRISPS situation: I live near a lot of potato fields and the crop this year, in our county at least, has been minimal, so if cheese & onion Tyrrells are vital for your emotional wellbeing in a Trump inflicted Winter of Discontent, I’d get some in now.

In order to “stockpile” 3days of food you have to have the money for 3 days of food.

When this government decides your job needs extra protection from your greedy money hungry bosses. Comeback and tell me what you are stockpiling when you have lost your jobs and have no income and savings.

Makes sense that those of us that can do the recommended prep do so leaving scarce resources for those that cannot. The broadest shoulders should sort themselves out to free up
state services for the vulnerable.

Someone down thread mentioned an AI event. So does the government know something we don’t?

You also need space @FairKoala I’m thinking students and people on low incomes living in HMO’s.

My job was in events. These venues don’t open if they don’t have a booking so some places might go 2 months without a booking, or only get one or 2 days work. They were never full time jobs. But spread across many venues it could become a full time job.

The venues individually can’t afford to pay for several full time member of staff for weeks or months when they don’t have any income.

You and Labour think that businesses are open 40hours per week and haven’t thought beyond this.

I am not the only one to lose out in this legislation to protect me. Hundreds of us have.
It’s not just one place that has done this

As for pretty crap employer A few of these places are government run buildings and they have done the same thing as the other business employers.

Fruit does freeze if you cook it. Think Apple pie, banana bread etc

It's clear that not everyone will agree that there is any need to have an emergency stockpile. I'm not sure they will ever be persuaded by threads such as these so there's little point in trying. It just derails the discussion.

However MN is great for sharing ideas and raising awareness. Every single household that has their own buffer of water, long life food and stuff planted in their gardens/balconies/window ledges makes this country a more secure place for everyone. Plus if the worst comes to the worst and we end up with shortages/rationing etc then why wouldn't you want to be able to use your own stock to supplement what is available.

I don't think everyone is open forty hours a week, what a bizarre thing to suggest.

Most people where I work are on two or three hours a day; I do one day a week.

But it's really not clear from your post what govt legislation has led to your job loss. Events fell off a cliff post COVID, that's a different issue.

Yes, fruit freezes. I'm not an idiot. But people prepping are not buying fresh fruit and veg, even for freezing. So your empty shelves are not a result of this advice.

If you can't afford it, or don't have room, then you can't do it. But those of us who can, and do, should, because that will help those of you who can't.

If you're not doing it, for whatever reason, then there's no answer from you to the question in the thread title.

For me the 'for' is:

1. Snow / Ice, the council do not grit my street and I don't think my mobility scooter would work on snow

2. Power cut

3. Gas, er, non supply, is 'gas cut' applicable here

4. Water, we actually had this last year and the water company were fairly quick to get bottles to us

If anything AI will likely be saving us from human errors.

AI isn’t saving us from anything. Data centres are taking our much needed fresh water and energy; and causing massive disruption to local environments and communities

My family come from a country where war and sanctions frequently halted supply chains for several weeks so I'm pretty much always prepared. If you only want to buy a few things, you should store: rice, chickpeas or lentils, olive oil, and a source of vitamin C.

I didn't have time to sort link etc before I started work but will do this eve 👍

How often do you reuse the compost? Genuine question. Round here, a bucket of compost costs a lot more than a big bag of potatoes.

I had a veg bed. It all keeled over in the heatwave.