Is it worth prepping for that ?

[K9medic]

There are some interesting ideas in both the Corona Virus threads, but they have also highlighted a couple of problems that I keep running into when ever more than 3 people start discussing Prepping. These are how much is too much and you can not Prep for that, so why bother.

The question I keep asking myself is why am I prepping? Is it to get through 48 hrs loss of power at home, a night stuck in the car due to bad weather or a long term “Carrington Event” where the situation will probable not return to normal in my life time?

For short term “local events” it is simply decided what equipment you need in that situation, then purchase equipment (and skills to use it) and wait it out. However, unless you are mega rich and have your own island, with enough stores to survive the rest of your life, it is unlikely you can ride out the “Big Event” without major changes.

With the Corona Virus we have a lot of examples in the last hundred years that we can use to make realistic plans. In the UK we can look at the Spanish Flu (probably the big end of the scale) the Pandemic flu in 1957, 1968 and 2009, Foot and Mouth in 1967 and 2001 and the current problem with Ash Dieback (yes I know it’s a Fungus).

When we teach Health & Safety, we found it was hard for students to visualise making a whole site safe. So now we teach the “Safety Bubble”, basically you are responsible for the H&S within arms reach, if every one thinks like this pretty soon the bubble covers the whole site.

So how does this help prepping for Corona virus? If I practise good hand hygiene and don’t touch my face (even basic masks stop you inadvertently touching your face) I am unlikely to catch it. If everyone did this it is unlikely to spread. But if it does crop up local (I live 20 miles from the RVI Hospital and workout of there on a semi regular bases) I could add a foot bath at the yard door, to clean shoes before getting to the house. Spray pump to disinfect wheels and wheel arches of car when entering the village (I already do this if working in an area of woodland due to the Ash Dieback).

Run with what you have, not what you wish you had.

Every little helps... According to Mr Tesco.

No-one can prepare for everything.

Having a good range of stuff will help though.

Eg getting stuck in the car i snow... Having some lightweight blankets, gloves, hat, scarves etc will help. As will having snacks drinks and somewhere to wee. Add a bag of salt and small Spade.

Little things can make a big difference.

Its funny though, when you start preparing it is often tweaking your plan and it covers multiple situations

Good thought about a mask preventing you inadvertently touching your face.

Got hammered into me at work, part of the infection control techniques.

Failing drastically at infection control. Trailing round Asda with a cold... Trying to meet the needs of autistic boy.

Oh and come across preppers are bonkers because nothing is going to be the same after a major world wide crisis anyway.

I think they missed the point.

I think corona virus prep seems to be do you hVe enough food and bog roll for 2 weeks' curfew.

With 2 autistic boys, basic answer is no.

I can guarantee that if you had enough of that special food for two weeks, they would suddenly go off it at the end of the first week.

DD is eating up square cornered Weetabix.

I don't formaly 'prep' but I do like to keep a good food cupboard. We probably have enough food in for 6 months. A couple of hundred bottles of water. Candles, scented and boxes full of utility ones. I have always been paranoid about toilet roll so their are a couple of hundred rolls tucked away as well as the 100 obvious ones in the bathroom. The long life ingredients for bread and such in a cupboard.
As long as we have water and power we're good for a few months. No power we have loads of camping stuff and barbecue type arrangements plus a caravan on the drive.
No water and we're screwed in a week.

@ missnevermind, i would love to know what you consider "formal" prepping 🤣😂

When you have Autistic member of your family does that naturally lead you into prepping, or was the prepping always there and you just adjusted it to support the Autisim?

Always have had a full food cupboard due to food issues growing up. (Dad appeared to be aspie)

Specific food was more stocked up on when ds started showing food refusal if not the right thing. More so after I spent the second week of holiday cooking him pasta for breakfast as he would not eat any cereal other than square Weetabix and we had run out and it was a forty mile round trip to Aldi with no guarantee they would have any in.

Always reasonably resourceful and liked gadgets like wind up lamp, lots of torches etc, but got a bit more organised pre Brexit when thinking about feeding kids if other issues.

We have a hospital bag after several trips to a and e.

We have a weekend bag which is just night clothes, meds and toiletries. That way I only have to pack an outfit each which saves hassle.

Also prep for each school holiday as taking them to the supermarket is not fun. Ex would deliver the bread and milk. Now they go to ex's house so I shop then in the holidays.

Then there is the genetic link...if prepping becomes ones special interest... one has piles of tins behind the sofa.

I'd imagine that having a bit of a stash gives one a bit of time to lie low over a short time. In a mad max scenario it's for nought anyway. We'd all be fucked, but that's not why I'm 'prepping'. I just like the idea of being able to steer clear of shops during a panic buying frenzy.
It's been helpful here during a job change/pay day change, helped us cope with an unexpected bill, and a heavy cold which made me not want to go grocery shopping (and thus also I did not share my germs)
I really like knowing we can survive a difficult few days/weeks.
If, nation wide or global difficulties were to go on much longer there's not much to anyway, just hunker down and hope for the best.

I also, going back to the op, like the idea of a bubble. I come back to that each time I get my knickers in a twist about the state of the world. I believe it's quite a Buddhist take on things.

I’ve been prepping against job loss. DH is working on a start up, 18 hours everyday for no bloody money so my part time wage is all we will have once the savings finally run out.

I don’t talk about it in RL, although I do talk about what I would prep if I decided to.

One day we will probably find out that about 90% of the population are ardent Preppers, just hid it very well