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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be so worried about an imminent war

154 replies

Saladcreamdreams · 28/01/2024 23:27

Is anyone else absolutely terrified or just me?
Tensions seem to be ramping up

OP posts:
FelineUK · 01/02/2024 16:58

@BiddyPop If you are particularly worried, see how or can be organised to look after yourself and your family self-sufficiently rather than needing Government help...can you look after yourselves for light, heat, food, water, cooking, first aid and essential medicines- initially for 3 days and then a couple of weeks? If something happens, have you a plan for what to do, where would be safe to go, what should you bring ...how would you move, on foot, by car...do you have small or older/less able folks to think about, family pets etc? What documents are essential and where are they in case you need them in a hurry? Are there any specific sentimental items that are portable that you would bring. What clothes, food, other essentials would you need to pack and move? Do you have savings and can you access them relatively easily? Have you written down, on a piece of paper or in a notebook, essential information - dates of birth/marriage etc, any allergies or medical issues in family, ALL relevant phone numbers (extended family, local services, government contacts etc) in case you lose power in your own phone and thus lose the numbers - if you have a notebook, you could use another phone to call people...

Is the above something you have put into action yourself? I'm all for planning however the above just triggers my anxiety at the thought of organising it all and then panicking. Whilst it's a great idea, I don't think it's practical for many and is sort of Hollywood movie scenario. If war broke out then chaos would follow soon after and there would be a lack of food, fuel, roads blocked due to traffic, everyone trying to 'escape to the country', if we lost power in our phones then most likely it's the same for everyone, probably wouldn't be any communication for some time. I've seen some of those US prepping folks and they're deadly serious about it but many have huge basements to store prep items such as food, water, tech, machinery, (even weapons), etc., not like our standard UK homes. Also to prep does need a few thousand spent to purchase the above and I'm pretty sure most of us don't have spare money to spend on outers of baked beans, bottled water, batteries etc.

I might print out my 'useful info' spreadsheet though - I can at least do that🙂I did, seriously, ask DH the other day if we should withdraw all our money and be cash ready! That would worry me.. not having access to funds.

What's other people's thoughts about 'prepping'. Will be interesting to read those comments.

BiddyPop · 02/02/2024 08:03

Yes, I have done that for myself - and am in the process of redoing it in a new location.

It's not necessarily about being a full-on US style prepper - do you have a few torches and spare batteries, an alternate source of heating (open fire, wood burning stove, hot water bottles and blankets), food that is easy to prepare and some way of heating simple meals, and some plan for water for drinking and toilets.

So for me - I go camping so I have torches and batteries. We have a wood stove if the gas boiler packs up and I like a HWB in winter. I have a couple of tins of soup and some couscous and tins of tuna and sweetcorn - that we eat anyway. And I have a large water bottle for camping to fill and a rainwater butt that I have use for toilets in the past rather than watering garden.

I know where locally would be safe and where to avoid.

I don't have a bag packed and ready to go - but I have thought about what needs to be in it and where all those things normally are. And have my really important information and contact numbers written down and easily accessible.

I like to grow a few veggies anyway so I do that normally.

I don't have a massive store of dried foods and weapons and the like. An awful lot is about thinking through what would I need and checking do I already have something that would do that job, or do I need to get something - but that may well do another job normally as well.

BiddyPop · 02/02/2024 08:07

Before I had a camping water barrel - I used to use a very large pot to fill with water for drinking. (We had major water issues in 2009/10 with the snows and pipe bursts).

We have a bbq in the garden that I've used to cook when we had power cuts. And, again because I camp, I have a 1 ring gas stove that I can use in the garden (just wear a coat if it's cold or raining/snowing).

CampsieGlamper · 02/02/2024 08:38

Our second biggest vulnerability is our use of technology - hacking, disability satellites and internet. Our third biggest vulnerability is transport, supply lines and resupply.
Our biggest vulnerability is us, our resilience or lack of it, forward thinking and planning or lack of it and our our ability to confront and discuss what we would do ourselves.

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