What are you prepping for?

[AuntBess]

There's a thread elsewhere talking about a huge prepping thread and I couldn't locate it to research my answer so I'm asking.

What are you prepping for?

Of course, I understand prepping with a few bottled waters and canned food for extreme weather scenarios etc, but apart from that, what else is there to prep for? Furthermore, nothing is ever so bad in the UK that you'd need more than a few weeks supply at the very most!

[TwatByName]

Yy I also even as a child wanted to be self sufficient, and prepared for stuff.

I remember joining the brownies, and being very disapointed with it. Especially the week they Said we were going to make yoghurt. Then sat in disbelief looking at a big bowl of shop bought plain yoghurt, that we were going to add some fruit to make flavoured yoghurt. I felt so cheated...

[KondosSecretJunkRoom]

Well, I don't think of myself as a prepper but this year I'm getting organised in the event of bad weather or power cuts or both - and I am filching good advice from this board to do that.

I'm normally the eternal optimist but I feel like there has been a drip, drip, drip of bad reports about the national grid, the effect of cuts to our emergency services and the increase in 'interesting' weather that seems to have gathered momentum and I think it can't hurt to be prepared.

Mostly, I'm gathering resources to be comfortable and safe for a few days indoors without power.

[Zetetic]

You are correct about the margin of power production against usage is narrowing and there is much less wriggle room. Don't be too alarmed though as there are arrangements with large industrial users to stop taking supplies during extremely tight periods (ie when the wind stops blowing and it is overcast - as wind and solar no use in certain weather conditions). The situation is getting worse each year though. (surrounded by power engineers in my family)

The most likely scenario for power cuts is still tree damage, accidents, cock ups, voltage problems, flooding, storms / weather related.

(By the way someone was asking somewhere about the lights dimming in their house. It can be trees touching line but it can also be voltage dips - see heading volatge dips in link.)

www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/power-cuts/what-causes-power-cuts.html

[Stratter5]

Oh that was me, thanks for the link Zet.

[Zetetic]

By the way, if anyone reading is vulnerable or has vulnerable relatives they can apply to be on the prioirity services register for extra help during power cuts. This includes those who are....

• dependent on medical equipment
  
• chronically ill
  
• with a disability
  
• visually impaired or blind
  
• hearing impaired or deaf
  
• the elderly
  
• nursing or residential home
  
• young babies in household

[Stratter5]

I wonder if my asthma counts. Might ask.

[howtorebuild]

I did register with the electricity co, as reliant on electricity for med equipment, they wrote to someone else at this address to state we were priority in a cut. A simple solar panel won't power med equip. What other help is there available?

[Zetetic]

This is off Ofgem's website -
If you’re on the register and experience a power cut, your supply may not be restored quicker but your energy company can offer you additional help and support. Dependent on your situation this could be regular updates, alternative heating and cooking facilities, or alternative accommodation. You would also get advanced notice of any planned power cuts.

www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2014/08/ofg538_web_how_to_leaflet_3_1.pdf

[iamaboveandBeyond]

Thanks for that, i just registered now :)
I would imagine asthma does count stratters? Its worse in the cold, so a problem if your heating went off?

There was an "other" box when i just did it (mine is eon), so i guess you could explain in there and see what they say?

[Zetetic]

I think it would count. You are allowed to make a case for any medical condition affected by lack of power.

[hebihebi]

I'm prepping for earthquakes. I live in japan so we get a lot. In fact this area, before I moved here, suffered a really bad one and was without power for a week. Other areas nearby had it much, much worse I'm afraid. I am also prepping for power and water outages. The earthquake shifted all the water pipes underground so there have been a lot of problems with water supply.

For what it's worth, after the tsunami caused the nuclear meltdown. Japan temporarily closed all the nuclear power plants. In the summer, when electricity usage is high due to all the air conditioners, we were issued a notice that there may be rolling blackouts. Each area was given a timetable of when their electricity would be stopped for two hours at a time. The rolling blackouts never actually happened and the cynic in me wonders if it was just a government ploy to gain support for turning the nuclear reactors back on but I guess it is a system that may be adopted elsewhere if electricity becomes in short supply.

Even though Japan suffers a lot of earthquakes many Japanese are woefully unprepared for one happening and just in denial that it could ever happen to them. I think the UK is much safer in terms of natural disaster but in a way this makes people even more vulnerable as a small amount of snow or wind can wreak utter havoc.

[Amibambini]

Hmm I find all of this really interesting. Read most of the aibu thread and been thinking about it quite a bit. The thing that surprised me most is how so smuggly scoffy-mc-scofferson some of the posters are, so utterly sure that prepping is nothing but a creepy delusion.

As this thread proves, a large amount of mnetters aren't in the UK, it's fascinating to read where you are all from and the various eventualities you have to plan for.

The sadder and scarier thing for me though is the complete inability of some people to mentally engage with some starkly real threats. Sure, in the UK we are a lot safer than most places, but we are all going to see some large scale weird shit in the coming decades with the changing climate. The movement of people is going to make the current refugee crisis look like a holiday.

But 'No! Life is good and calm for me now therefore it is good and calm everywhere for everyone and anyone who says otherwise is wrong and mean and should stop making me think!'.

But the poster who repeatedly (and repeatedly) reiterated their morbid justifications wasn't doing themselves any favours. Ugh.

As for the original question.. I wouldn't call myself a prepper but I do like to keep a few weeks food in and I'm always happier when our water tanks are full. Our home floats so it is off grid and self sufficient in many ways. I guess some would call me a prepper but we didn't move afloat with 'prepping' in mind. I will admit to having not the greatest faith in 'business as usual' in the world around me. Tired now.. Rambling. Going to bed! G'night!

[expatinscotland]

I'm prepping to do a long walking trail (62 miles) next June, climb a major munro in Spring, climb Ben Nevis next Autumn and go on a cruise with my family next Summer. I'm already training and looking at clothes and planning what to pack for the cruise because cruises are so far beyond fucking awesome and being altogether for an entire week as my dad celebrates his 80th birthday just makes it even better. It's gonna fucking rock. The whole year.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Amibambini sometimes I think the people who stick their heads in the sand are lucky,- that is if nothing untoward happens. They swan through life without worrying, about much at all.

On the whole, I prefer to be aware and have plans and some level of stocks, just in case the untoward does happen.

[DeltaSunrise]

Hi Zetetic I'm on the east coast, north of Auckland. Definitely not as bad for earthquakes as Christchurch and no snow but we do get some pretty amazing storms up here plus the possibility of tsunamis from coastal earthquakes. Our whole town is very flat so the tsunami sirens that we have in place are very helpful.

On Thursday just gone, the weather literally went from typical gorgeous summer day to rolling black clouds and torrential rain in a matter of minutes. We are predicted a couple of cyclones over the next couple of months.

I remember the first year we were here, we arrived in NZ in September and a cyclone came through in October, the dc and I huddled together in one room of the house while the house shook and water was literally lifted out of the swimming pool.

Started picking up some more food supplies this week and got a camping stove which was reduced this weekend too.

[Zetetic]

Hi Delta. I've read about the NZ earthquakes and tsunamis (spot the Geology Geek). I'm glad to hear you have tsunami sirens and I hope that there is some sort of shelter. The cyclones sound eventful and that is quite some sky (puts the UK storms in perspective). There was quite a big earthquake on November 17th in North of NZ according to GeoNet (6.5) so I guess you probably felt that one.

Good luck with the preparations.

[DeltaSunrise]

It's the evening of the 17th now, didn't feel anything last night, haven't for a while now but according to GeoNet we have had quite a few small ones in the last few weeks, I hadn't realised quite how many to be honest. The last one we had, it was evening, we were at a friends for dinner a bit tipsy, I opened the fridge to get a beer out and a whole load of bottles fell out. We all thought it was me being an idiot, turns out it was an earthquake.

Looks like I am right to be prepared for Tsunami, dp thinks I'm being OTT but I'm not the only one.

[cozietoesie]

I don't think you're being OTT.

Do you have high ground nearby?

[Zetetic]

I think you are doing the right thing. I expect you have seen this advice with 'How to get ready' in the top right hand corner.

www.getthru.govt.nz/disasters/tsunami/

(sorry I must have copied the date down wrong for that earthquake. Maybe it was the one you felt with the bottles falling out. Must have been a bit alarming!)