The downsides of stockpiling

[CurdinHenry]

Batteries are huge fire hazards, particularly as they age
Ditto those mini gas camp fires
Plastic leaches from bottles into water
Food attracts vermin especially if you live somewhere prone

Surely there should be advice on this element of the whole thing

Its only 3 days stuff. Loads of people have that more or less put by anyway.

Thanks for the info about batteries. I must have loads in various drawers.
Something else to worry about!

Read up on how to store things safely.

Tins won’t attract vermin.

And you are only advised to store 3
days.

I’ve got 3 days worth of food in the house most of the time.

Batteries and torches etc are stored with my camping gear in the garage.

Ordinary batteries are not a fire hazard.
What is a mini gas camp fire?
Vermin can't get into tins

It's 3 days worth, get over yourself.

So you have no batteries in at all?

Tbh I think if the running water goes off nobody will give a toss about micro plastics.

I ordered some jerry cans for water, it goes off after 3/6 months so plan is to water garden if not used with it and refill. I feel absolutely mad buying it but we do live in an unpredictable world both in terms of climate change and in terms of Cyber attacks on infrastructure. We generally buy food weekly so don't need to get extra food really, can always run our freezer down if necessary.

I certainly have enough food for 3 days if I can’t get to the shops, we could live off the freezer and store cupboard for about 2 weeks if need be. If the power goes out we can cook food in order of it perishing. We have camping kit - stove, matches and water purifiers, in the loft and candles/torches if need be. We have radios that take batteries and always have a pack or two of batteries to hand.

None of that is hard to come by or bulky to store. I’m not sure why it’s causing such panic amongst folk to make sure they have a small supply of essentials available in case of supply issues. Unless you genuinely live hand to mouth, or have specific vulnerabilities it’s just part of running a home.

If the rats want to eat my water purifying tablets good luck with that.

Wind up battery charger ?
Just expand your food stores to have a pipeline so you use stuff up in order so nothing goes out of date ? Rice and pasta being your friend - they can keep for years.

Frankly it seems a lot of people are overthinking things.

Maybe I’m ’showing my privilege’ but I’m surprised at how many people seem not to have 3 days of food in given most people do a weekly food shop and will have some tins, bread, cereal, etc in at all times?

Hence advice is to check everything regularly.

You would be surprised at how many people shop daily. Certainly a lot of the elderly population I know like to get out every day to do a daily food shop. We had to be extra firm during proper windy weather where ladies were being Mary Poppinsed across Morrisons car park.

If people need that advice we're already doomed.

Yeah we were discussing the list this morning and we could survive easily for more than 3 days with what we have already. The only things we don’t have are litres of water and a battery radio. But I’m not sure we need a radio in London… can’t I just stick my head out the door and ask a neighbour? The water thing… I’m just not keen on plastic bottles sitting in the cupboard indefinitely as we don’t usually drink bottled water. It seems like a waste. Maybe I’ll stock up on cans of fever tree tonic. At least they’ll get used. Except the dog won’t drink them.

I hope for your sake that you're a bit less obnoxious in real life.

You would be surprised at how many people shop daily. Certainly a lot of the elderly population I know like to get out every day to do a daily food shop.

Is there a 1970s revival that passed me by ? Shame the music hasn't followed suit.

Actually that's unfair Growing up in the 70s I clearly inherited DMs wartime vibes. She was careful not to have empty cupboards "just in case" and was generally prepared for anything that strikes and shortages could throw up.

I like this plan. I definitely don't have "pantry space" but a high turnover of things I like would be good.

I do a daily shop pretty much. Don't know what I'll want on any given day.

Batteries? When was the last time someone's AA and AAAs exploded in a cupboard?

You will be surprised how many people don’t. Even though they have the space and finances to do so. It usually the under 35s that do this. Plus other age ranges. My late Nanan was one of these before Covid. DF and DA made sure she had plenty in. DM made chicken casseroles, mince mixtures, soup to freeze.

In my previous job at the supermarket, I saw the same regular customers coming in the same time buying what they were having for evening meals. Plus a couple of things you buy weekly, monthly, less often etc. Milk, cheese, coffee, fabric conditioner.

Its an expensive way to buy groceries. For example buying four chicken breasts costs about 40p less in weight than a pack of two. You can freeze the chicken which not using or keep it wrapped in the fridge till the date.

I'd think so too but I've heard it might be common for younger people, presumably living in cities, to have less in stock because of the abundance of food options available to them. So grabbing something for breakfast on the way to work, eating out in the evening or picking up an evening meal from the supermarket on the way home means they don't necessarily have several days' worth of food at home. And for people in flat shares they might have less storage space or inclination to keep a large supply.

The shortages come from everyone buying at once, not from people having a few days' food in. The gentle way to do it is adding one or two extra items to your normal shop each week, things you'd eat anyway, and rotating them. Nothing goes to waste and you never empty a shelf.

The can leak and corrode. Hence wind up torches and radios, and/or a wind up charger for rechargeable batteries.

I’m wondering what my parents are going to do with their multiple packs of Ryvita and long life milk they have stocked up on.