Stockpiling vacuum packed food in case of war

[EclecticShock]

My friends husband has bought a couple of thousand pound worth of vacuum packed food in case there of an imminent war... Euro crisis, Syria and Middle east problems... China and Russia power dynamic. What do you think? Is this sensible or deluded? I would have said deluded but I don't want to be dismissive of her and her husband. He does quite a lot of research but not sure it's from valid sources.

I wouldn't worry about it (unless you're worried that you should be doing similar?).

There are plenty of stockpiles/bunkers etc ready to protect the great and the good, so if the odd normal pleb wants to do the same why hold it against him?

How funny, I met up with my brother earlier tonight and was solemnly informed that in the event of zombie apocolypse me and my partner are to hot foot it to his house; apparently it's more secure and has better defenses.

They've also worked out rationing for each of us, who will be on the 'hunting/scaveging' teams and what survival skills each of us can bring to the group

Honestly, I really think it's unjustified anxiety. It might not be anything for you to worry about but I would keep an eye on him. It's not healthy.

In answer to your question, well basically I focus on civil wars and transnational threats (terrorism, organised crime), I also have to keep on top of global politics generally. I'm about to finish a phd in conflict studies and have worked with MoD, NGOs. I was also in Washington for 9/11 and the anthrax attacks, have travelled in war zones, so some firsthand experience.

I hope that doesn't sound like bragging or anything, just trying to say that even with all that, I'm not preparing for the coming apocalypse. I think it's really rude actually for him to imply that you just don't get it because you don't know as much as he does.

I don't think this kind of stockpiling is a product of how much knowledge you have. I think it's the result of a particular emotional state.

I just thought of something you could do.... tell him you'd like to know more about all this stuff he knows, and ask him to recommend some websites. Check them out, that will give you a clue as to how stable he is.

I don't see what is wrong with stockpiling things for emergencies, as long as he is not 100% preparing for imminent war, let him go for it, I would if I could be arsed (not war but general emergencies).

Lets face it the world isn't in that great a shape atm, also who the hell knows what will happen at any time, if stores of food etc could make any crisis easier then all to the good.

I do read a lot of conspiracy sites and it's quite tedious reading all the survivalist guff, societal breakdown and war is always on the horizon . But then again shit does happen, it would never hurt to have a store of food which will last a long time.

Have you never heard of normalcy bias, things will keep on being the same, just because they have been so in (your) past.

Shit like the 2nd WW did actaully happen, I'm sure there were many people just before hand saying "ahh it'll all be fine, nothing ever happens around here" .

He spent a couple of thousand on vac-pac food which probably won't even be good for all that long? Yeah, he's a bit bonkers - especially if he is convinced he is preparing for imminent war/conflict rather than a possible natural disaster or problems with food distribution.

That said, I don't think there is anything wrong with having some decent stores built up for 'just in case' - but I wouldn't just go and spend that kind of silly money on special stuff. More sensible to just have a good stock of stuff we would normally eat, drink and wipe our bums on

So DH and I have several crates of bottled water and wine stashed away and I keep a lot of tinned and dried food rotating through my food stores so the oldest are always being eaten first, the amount in there varies, but there is always enough food/water and toilet roll in the cupboards for us (and the cats) to have for a month or two without going shopping... though DH always says he might have to eat the cats and save their food for when he is desperate

We also have bug out bags (otherwise known as OFRS it seems) packed and ready in the hall closet with change of clothes, med kit, torch, blanket, multi-tool etc packed into it.

But we do live in an area somewhat prone to tornadoes, and there was some pretty bad flooding a couple of years ago too. So that level of prep is just pretty sensible for us. If we lived in London I don't think we'd be quite so hot on it!

So to summarise - Being prepared for 'just in case' is fine. Making paranoid preparations for specific things which probably won't happen isn't so fine.

I think he is one to keep an eye on as it sounds like he may be taking his preparedness a bit too far and any evidence of his inner Rambo/Bear Grylls taking over should be eyed with caution. But then again, having lots of food stashed under his bed may have eased his mind and he will now be able to carry happily on his way without further stressing. In which case - fair enough if he can afford it.

I think asking him to tell you more about what he knows and how he found it out might be a good way of gauging just how obsessed and paranoid he is.

Exactly, Evil -- the kind of preparedness you're talking about makes sense. Spending thousands of pounds because of crises that don't have anything to do with you (like Syria, Chinese-Russian relations) is more like paranoia.

We don't know if this guy is paranoid or not OP doesn't have a lot of first hand info.

The Doomsday clock is set at 11.55pm at the moment, the closest to midnight it's ever been is 11.57pm. He might have a point....

I just don't see the problem. At the end of the day the guy is buying food to store in cupboards - not exactly harming people is it. Assuming he isn't walking the streets with his shotgun, or spending their last pennies on survival rations, does it actually matter?

There was a disused nuclear bunker for sale in the Shetland Islands at auction recently. Had everything you need in case of wartime. Even had its own water purification plant. He would have been better off buying something like that in case of war instead of food that goes off in 3-6 months.

He sounds a bit obsessive. A couple of thousands of pounds is a lot to spend on something that will go off, and its not particularly going to help him if society does disintegrate and he is sitting in the suburbs with a large pile of food...

A slight aside, but has anyone seen the film 'Knowing' with Nicholas Cage? In that at the end a massive solar flare completely incinerates the earth with no survivors. I didnt see it coming at all and it completely threw me, I was thinking about it for days afterwards. I think it is the fact that in that kind of situation, there is absolutely fuck all you can do and fuck all place you can go. And it could happen, it was horrible!

There are times over the last year or so when i have wondered what would happen in the case of financial meltdown.What if our currency was devalued and became worthless.Would there be no food in the shops?

I think op would happily go to vacume packed man and not worry about him if there was a disaster, he would then turn from lion to guru to her

We used to live in central London and after the 7/7 attacks we made sure we were well stocked up with food and water etc and got an OFRS ready. Couple of thousand pounds on vacuum packed meals sounds a bit over the top compared to my extra few tins of beans though!

ClassFree "Have you talked with him about it? Ask him what triggered it, and maybe he can clear up any misunderstandings."
EclecticShock "I have but he won't have a serious discussion with any of us as he thinks we don't have a clue and therefore have no valid opinion. "

To me, that just looks as if he's an arrogant arse then, with money to burn. And not very bright, if vacuum-packed food goes off. (I'm sure I've read somewhere that tinned food is still edible a century later - tins have been around and it has apparently been put to the test.)

Just don't lose the tin opener

Back in the 80s, when the Cold War (and our marriage) was still on, XH was going to build a bunker in the back garden. Couldn't get planning permission though - even for an underground one. He was quite miffed.

More recently he phoned to tell me to be sure DS4 wrapped his scarf around his face when going to school, to avoid breathing in fallout particles from the Japanese nuclear plant explosion. (We live in England.) I put the phone down quite gently, without a word. It rang again and DS2 had to listen to him saying it all over again, with an additional rant about my attitude. I think he'd been watching Channel 5 what-if documentaries again.

I have a small stockpile 'just in case' (though I don't think war is imminent) and a recent thread showed that I was not alone by any means.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1503565-How-long-would-you-last-if-the-banks-shut-down-completely

In Switzerland, by law, every member of the population has to have access to a nuclear bunker.

By Swiss Federal Law houses have to contain a nuclear bunker (or one per four houses so neighbours can share) which are top spec. including air filtration systems and chemical toilets fitted out to last six months. Every apartment block has to have a communal nuclear bunker. There is a big Government nuclear bunker for 30,000 people under a snowy-topped Alp somewhere.

There are approx. 300,000 nuclear shelters in Swiss dwellings, institutions and hospitals, as well as 5,100 public bunkers, providing protection for a total of 8.6 million people ? a coverage of 114 per cent of the population. (Which may mean they would let some French, Austrians, Germans or Italians come in to take up the remaining spaces)

Most Swiss use their bunkers as a wine cellar or to store their skis in.

I don't think your friend's DH has mental health issues, by the way, I don't think what he's done is insane or medically paranoid. It's just that on balance, most people would weigh up risks and likelihoods and spend the £2k on something else.

Have you looked at his Internet browsing history? If he is on lots of conspiracy sites that might explain it.

I'm starting to worry more about the responses than the original bloke. Check his web browsing history? Is that not a little intrusive when he's just buying food!

I'm starting to get the impression from the thread that there should be a clear grading strucure:

• 5 tins of beans (normal)
• 10 tins of beans (keep an eye on)
• 20 tins of beans (into conspiracy web sites but not a danger to others)
• 50 tins of beans (pathological condition and likely to be sectioned)

1. Buy air-horn and klaxon
2. Sound both outside Mr Tinfoil Helmet friend's DH's house
3. Lock him firmly in his bunker with assurances that you'd love to join him but think you've been contaminated already.
4. Enjoy summer in peace.

The grading system had me chuckling. Do any of you remember the lady who hit 50 instead of 5 during her Asda shop? She had no idea what to do with them as Asda wouldn't take them back. She would need sectioning by the sliding scale.

My mum does this. God knows how many fray bentos pies she has in her cupboards in case of emergency!