To wonder how many are aware of Preparedness Month?

[exiledfromcornwall]

September is apparently Preparedness Month. This campaign was started several years ago. I consider myself to be reasonably well up on things, but I was taken by surprise by it last year.

This morning Twitter is full of people stressing and panicking because local authorities are sending out tweets advising people to have a 'grab and go bag' in case of emergency. While I am in favour of the campaign itself, surely it should be better communicated to the population at large, especially in this of all years!

Doesn't sound as though they prepared that campaign very well!

Where are you?

Everyone should have a "grab and go" bag in case of a sudden emergency. Food, a change of clothes, water, matches, a knife, toiletries and maybe a ground sheet (to be used as a tent). It's common sense.

It's been a thing for a good few years, I've seen it on various places before when finding emergency resources for my Cub Scouts and generally prepping myself.

I find September is a good month to take stock of things generally, it's not that I am a major prepper (my "grab and go" bag is more a number of items in various places but I know how to grab them all within 3 minutes and be relatively ok for up to a week away from home). But it's when I start my annual major deep clean of the house and check things like smoke and CO alarm batteries, cleaning out gutters and checking drains (to prevent floods), checking stocks and filling any holes on food and other supplies (batteries, candles, clothes, logs) etc. Kids are back at school, autumn is arriving in shops, and its a good time to get ready for winter anyway so prepping for other things is good to do then.

I think anything that isn't Covid is not going to get much traction this year though - no matter how worthy or important it is. (Well, except Brexit - that's getting some attention, but even that is less than it ought to be).

I just don't think the public are ready for this.

Yes...aware.

Because the same thing happened last year and people got their knickers in a twist about how it was code for the fact that we were going to leave Europe with no deal and that it was going to be terrible.

Every year I suspect people who are prone to panicking are going to find something to panic about when its publicised.

(as an aside I do think no deal Brexit will be terrible but it didn't take much critical thinking last year to debunk it being some kind of secret code, ditto this year)

You should also have cash in your G&G bag, as you are as likely to be going to find accommodation in a hotel or shelter somewhere, and needing to pay for lodging, food, transport etc as actually finding a safe place in a woods to camp. Especially in more urban areas. If you are leaving because of a house fire, say, you are probably going to a hotel. And if it's because bad weather is causing flooding in your area, you are almost certainly not going to be camping but finding somewhere solid for shelter.

And while perhaps not in the bag all the time, knowing where to quickly grab ID (passports or similar), and any family momentos that you would be gutted to lose (a handful of photos say, or cherished piece of jewellery, or something small from a deceased family member) is also important.

I'd agree that Brexit is going to make Covid seem like a stroll in the park.

I'm a bit of a prepper, which I became with Brexit 1 & 2.

Now the Real (No) Deal lies visible on the horizon, I'm stepping up again.

I don't have a 'bug-out bag' ready to go, because I have money in the bank; and if it came to a situation where a pack with a few essentials stood between me and apocalypse, I'm not sure I'd survive, or want to survive - that post-apocalyptic world.

@contrmary

Everyone should have a "grab and go" bag in case of a sudden emergency. Food, a change of clothes, water, matches, a knife, toiletries and maybe a ground sheet (to be used as a tent). It's common sense.

Surely it depends on where you are the risk of an emergency?

If you live;

• On or near any area of previous flooding
• Downstream from a dam
• Near a forest (particularly in other countries more so than UK)
• Rurally where you can get cut off in winter
• In a City re: terrorism risk

Then it makes sense.

If you live nowhere near any of these things it seems massive overkill.

Other than the power going out I can't for the life of me think what emergency could befall us that we wouldn't have some notice of.

The only thing I can think of is a hurricane and they don't happen with zero notice.

• Surely it depends on where you are and the risk of an emergency?

@Juniperandrage

Where are you?

South West region, but it is other LAs that I've seen tweeting on Twitter, e.g. Wandsworth.

Glad to see people on MN are on board with this, but it seems an awful lot of people in RL are oblivious. Hence my main point, that it should have been communicated better. No wonder we are starting to see a return of panic buying!

My db and his wife had a grab bag ready when they were in Oman, but I never had one in Belgium and don't see the need for one where I live in Cornwall.

I don’t get it, what do I need a grab and go bag for? And also where would I be going too?

Do people actually bother with this!

A knife? What for? Killing next doors car for emergency food?

My handbag has a few quid, some gum, a few plasters and half a packet of ibuprofen in it. I think I’m set.

What on earth is this about? A grab and go bag for what? Are we expecting the zombie apocalypse? I've never heard anything about it and would presume that it was something for the prepper nutcases!

Prepared for what exactly?

We know where our important documents are but that is it apart from spare cash. has anyone had any actual use of a grab and go bag?

The world's gone nuts.
Worrying about stuff like this is way worse for you than being unprepared for an exceedingly unlikely event.

Actually scrap the important documents we know where the wine and whisky lives

Sounds like an idea from US or Australia, unless you are very near the sea or on a flood plain we don't need it. No major foes or hurricanes here.

Fires

Why would I need a tent? If it's camping, I'm not going. I'll take my chances with the zombies.