If you're not really prepping, just getting ahead a little...

[NorthEastNancy]

What have you stocked up on this last month?

We've not got a huge amount of storage room and I don't want to stockpile lots of stuff just for the sake of it.

I hate all the scaremongering but I don't want the stress of Covid times.

I got a Costco card recently and have bought the big pack of loo rolls and a huge pack of washing powder

I've ordered a shed load of wood for the log burner

I always batch cook and I'm running the freezer down to do a big re-stock over half term

I bought an extra pack of pasta and some tuna last week

Dh is considering one of the big battery things that you can charge using solar panels (that's more long term cost saving)

My work friend is a serious prepper and thinks I'm being too laid back!

What are you doing if you're not a serious prepper but may be dipping your toe in?

I do not really understand the scenario e we are meant to prep for?

power outages? Then the freezer will defrost and all that extra food will rot

no water? Why? I mean it has happened here a few years ago, and we were fine but are we talking about no water long term? Because it’s poisoned or something?

or are we talking about getting attacked by Russia? Or US? Or China? What will a few tins of food and loo roll do then?

I am not being deliberately obtuse but I would like to know the scenario we are prepping for.

if we are getting dragged into a war what would loo paper do?

So a kind of attack where we still have power but also live in our basement baking bread for a year?

like …. The Russians attack us but do not use weapons, they do not blow up our infrastructure (gas water elec) and we all just happily burrow down and bake bread in our cosey homes?

Well, as above, there are a lot of short term emergencies that may occur, especially ones where the government and army may step in, but it would take a few days to organise.

But I've had a freezer breakdown, and the food inside stayed frozen for days. We cooked it one at a time before the repairman came.

And on loo paper - were people sane near you for COVID? Because they mostly weren't. We always keep a 24 pack in the shed in case it isn't convenient to pick up our usual 4 pack. It was very helpful.

There are basically a range of possibilities, no water, no power, poor supply chains. They all require slightly different supply profiles. This isn't helpful, but we also don't know what precise scenario might occur and when, and to who.

My Brexit supply chain issues stockpiling became very handy in the early days of COVID.

Basically the more people who are mildly prepared, the fewer people relying on emergency support.

Basically the more people who are mildly prepared, the fewer people relying on emergency support.

That's the way I see it too. There is enough talk in the media about a range of possibilities (from El Niño to cyber warfare) to make me feel that having a few extra things in may be helpful. The fact that most European governments are issuing similar advice to their citizens has made me give prepping more consideration then I have previously.

It isn't about the apocalypse. But if we are anticipating a situation where the power could go off for a while, or the water supply is interrupted of whatever then it makes sense for those of us that are able to prepare a bit to do so.

Thames Water where I am has historically been dreadful at getting emergency water to houses when we have had outages so it makes sense to me to have some in stock so that if we need it, more vulnerable people can be prioritised.

I'm not building a nuclear bunker but I am making sure that if we had to stay at home for a few days with no power or water what would that look like and do we have enough in stock to manage ok.

With the terrible harvests this year after the successive heatwaves the worst that will happen is we eat our emergency stores at a cheaper price than they will cost next year.

I have to admit I do find this idea odd, it’s chaos outside whether it’s a super storm, Russia cutting off supplies etc but people are calmly browsing their pantry’s & singing Kumbaya!

I've just added some extra bits to our pantry, plus bottled water, UHT milk and cat food.

UHT milk because the beast from the east meant that I couldn't get milk in the centre of Glasgow for over a week. I imagine that is a good model for if the supply chain gets interrupted for a few days or power cuts mean stores can't open. Can't be going that long without porridge or tea!

I honestly don't think people are being silly having a few days worth of food in. Even getting struck down with the flu it is handy not HAVING to do a shop on that specific day.

Our government (continental Europe) recommended it; B&M-type shops sell “emergency packages” with some of the non-food things we’re told to have.

I mean I don’t do everything the government suggests and I didn’t rush out and stock up the next day, but over time I’ve put most of the stuff together.

Something that’s been happening occasionally, aside from any superpower threats, is that occasionally other activists have been trying to disrupt utilities and transport. eg last winter in Germany there was a small-scale power outage caused by sabotage (I think an environmental group, can’t remember) and this year in the Netherlands persons unknown blocked the train tracks in various places, meaning no trains for a period of time (again can’t remember the details).

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about any of this mind you! I just thought yeah, extra water’s a good idea, extra cat food. Bits and pieces here and there.

Same