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Original poster

Only on mumsnet do people prep.

523 replies

Notlong20 · 26/02/2020 20:49

There is not one person I know in real life that is prepping for a coronavirus outbreak. In fact, no one I speak to even mentions the threat of the virus.

Of course we know of it as the hysteria surrounding it is all over the news / social media, but aibu to think preppers only exist on mumsnet?

OP posts:
Aridane · 27/02/2020 11:02

I think it is a modern thing not to prep.

My grandmother would harvest her apples , carrots and potatoes in the autumn and keep them under sacking in the shed to last all winter. She would make dozens of bottles of rose hip syrup and jams when fruit was in season, there would be rows of preserves and jams, months of supplies to use for months ahead. Onlions would be tied in long strings, bringing one into the house when she needed it. She would slice and dry plums, bag them up and use them for baking during the year'

Prepping is not a modern invention, it is something humans have been doing for thousands of years, I was brought up to prep, to gather food in times of plenty to make sure future times were easier

That’s not prepping, that’s just storing food to avoid waste. And if I make jam or pickle, that’s not prepping but making jam or pickle...

Rainyrain · 27/02/2020 11:03

Actually I went into my closest town yesterday and boots, Superdrug and another small chemist had sold out of all hand gel

SabineUndine · 27/02/2020 11:05

I live on my own and having been seriously ill a couple of years ago, I always make sure I have enough food to tide me over for a week or two. Nothing exciting, just pasta and beans. Also enough medication for norovirus, flu, bad colds etc. Once you've been caught out a couple of times, you take care.

Funkycats · 27/02/2020 11:12

@Rainyrain at the minute, sensible stocking up isn't going to cause empty shelves, as the just in time supply chain system will simply be ordering in extra stock to compensate.
The system works well until or unless there is disruption of the supply chain, which is what could have potentially happened if we'd crashed out with no deal. And arguably could happen if the pandemic hit hard. It would struggle to keep up if everyone went out all at once right now, but we do currently still have regular supplies being shipped in. The reason so called panic buying causes empty shelves if the weather is really bad is partly due to lorries not being able to get in, not purely because people buy extra.

speakout · 27/02/2020 11:15

That’s not prepping, that’s just storing food to avoid waste. And if I make jam or pickle, that’s not prepping but making jam or pickle...

Sorry but I disagree.

My gran would deliberately grow more food than she could eat when it was ripe- knowing that she would be able to store and preserve what she couldn't use immediately.

It wasnt done to "avoid waste", she was thinking of the future- she was prepping.

Nowadays we go to a supermarket and do the same thing.

bellinisurge · 27/02/2020 11:15

What causes panic is a bunch of people going "oh fuck" at the same time, usually when they realise they could have sorted it earlier by, y'know, calmly getting extra bits in well in advance. At the moment , those people are still in sneering mode. And some of them turn up on here.

ifonly4 · 27/02/2020 11:18

OP, I'm sure people have been prepping locally. Just been to Tescos, some longlife jars and cans definitely lower than usual and even I was shocked to only see six cans tomatoes. Dettol was sold out, cleaning products lower than usual.

If you can afford it, think it's sensible to prepare rather than be faced with a potential panic stockpile in an area with an increased risk of infection. If you buy longlife products you'd usually use or wouldn't mind using and they're not used, they'll be handy for illness, floods, bad weather.

WalkingDeadTrainee · 27/02/2020 11:21

My gran would deliberately grow more food than she could eat when it was ripe- knowing that she would be able to store and preserve what she couldn't use immediately.

It's also simple efficiency thing. If you put energy into growing something you grow more than just for immediate use. It's not really worth it otherwise.

Funkycats · 27/02/2020 11:23

Exactly @bellinisurge

And @speakout

Sceptre86 · 27/02/2020 11:26

People don't usually own up as if the shit really did hit the fan someone else could steal your stash. I do not yet drive and we live in an area of Scotland where there is frequent snow. With two young children in the house I always make sure I have enough calpol, ibuprofen and cough medicine in the house. There is enough food to last us a good few weeks but I would need to replenish bread, milk and eggs. I always make sure that I have enough of the kids snacks just incase. I do not see this as being over dramatic just being sensible.

WalkingDeadTrainee · 27/02/2020 11:26

I think the problem is because most people see preppers as this www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2020/01/01/how-to-survive-the-apocalypse-according-to-british-preppers-11971714/amp/

While what lots of preppers here talk about ate simple ergonomics and common sense.

kerryleigh · 27/02/2020 11:32

It’s not Ebola.
Indeed. Imagine if it was! We would kill each other
It's a flu! I see the headlines, it's like THE Apocalypse is upon us

speakout · 27/02/2020 11:35

It's also simple efficiency thing. If you put energy into growing something you grow more than just for immediate use. It's not really worth it otherwise.

Exactly. Like a trip to Costco.

It's hellish in there, huge packs, so I only visit every few months and get gget loads of stuff I can store.

It's not worth popping in for stuff to make one meal.

Bluebird1234 · 27/02/2020 11:38

Hand gel does seem to be in short supply

Brettney · 27/02/2020 11:40

Yep, our local shop has some in, but in the last few days they have tripled the price. I don't blame them as it makes business sense, but I'm not even sure if it's strong enough to be effective so I didn't want to get any. Hopefully the supply chain is in full swing to produce more to meet demand, but it will likely take a while.

WalkingDeadTrainee · 27/02/2020 11:41

*Exactly. Like a trip to Costco.

It's hellish in there, huge packs, so I only visit every few months and get gget loads of stuff I can store.

It's not worth popping in for stuff to make one meal.*

Exactly. Not prepping. Simply just making thing efficient. Common sense.

MilkRunningOutAgain · 27/02/2020 11:49

Well I work in London, there are staff where I work self isolating due to coming back from overseas travel, and there are families in my kids’ school that are self isolating due to travel to Italy at half term. One work colleague on my team, and who has been working from home all week, has a cough and is feeling ill today and so has contacted NHS to get tested. Overseas travel is being curtailed at work and we are advising visitors to our offices not to come if they have travelled to risky places recently. We have video conferencing so that is being used more.

Both work and school are advocating use of hand gels and I’ve bought quite a big supply as I can’t see Coronavirus disappearing any time soon. I’m encouraging the kids to wash hands more often. I always have a stock of food in regardless, we are rural, I get migraines and then can’t drive - it’s handy to have a few extra meals easily available. And I checked that we have a good supply of medicines last week. But that’s it, it’s get on with it and try not to spend all day long talking / posting about it....

WalkingDeadTrainee · 27/02/2020 11:52

I am bit Angry at hand gels. I wash hands, use hand gels and still got a fucking flu. It all lieeeeeesssss I tell ya!

MilkRunningOutAgain · 27/02/2020 12:17

I’m with you on the hand gels and would not have bothered except that the kids are being told to get out their hand gels and use them several times a day at school. I am into washing hands regularly and carefully, especially after being on the tube / bus!

Lordfrontpaw · 27/02/2020 12:26

Public transport is where you need to use the gel (all those coughing and sniffling people).

I was walking from work down Oxford & Regent St and we have a lot of beggars who come up to you and try to grab your hand... and there is also a lot of tourists - bleugh! So that's like Typhoid Mary X 20 wandering up and down Oxford Street.

dianebrewster · 27/02/2020 12:29

I suppose those who are mocking the preppers don't bother with house insurance either ?

I'm 99% sure that anyone who understands current supply chain logistics, and has a basic understanding of systems theory, will have stocked up on essentials.

Our delivery systems are all "just in time" food gets moved around the world constantly, all it needs is a couple of weeks of lockdown in a crucial node in the chain for there to be shortages.

The most critical points are those closest to the origin of the foodstuff - not places like Dover, there are other ports. If you can't get the product out of the area producing it then it can't get to the factory for packaging/ processing.

As we've seen (Italy) some of the producing countries have not managed to contain the spread.

I'm less worried about the virus than I am about politicians not behaving logically when trying to prove their competency at dealing with it.

CrowleysBentley · 27/02/2020 12:36

Alcohol hand gels don't kill lots of viruses, they're better for bacteria, you are better off with regular thorough hand washing.

Cheeseontoast4 · 27/02/2020 12:36

I had a Drs appointment at the GP today - of about 20 people coming in only i and another person used the hand gel :-( .. at least half of them were mid80s ... after my appointment I went off to get a few extra bits of food in - and loo rolls !

MRex · 27/02/2020 12:38

I use hand gel for my toddler leaving playgroup / playgrounds, because there's nowhere to wash his hands until he gets home. Foam dry soap is nice too. I think of it as an alternative to handwashing, not for use on top of soap. Am I getting it wrong?

BossAssBitch · 27/02/2020 12:43

I have got enough (non-perishable / freezer) food and paracetamol/ibuprofen to get us through two weeks of self-isolation / sickness. It's called 'being organised', there doesn't have to be a silly term for it.

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