Any long term Preppers actually in shock something is happening?

[MsMeNz]

I have been a prepper since I was a teen, too many end of world novels I think 😬😁 so I've where ever possible kept 2-3 months of stuff and have bug out bags, get anxious if I run out of batteries etc.
But no so far as many hard core people go.

But even though I have always been prepared-ish I actually find myself in awe and a little freaked out it's actually now needed. Anyway one else feel like that? Like you prepped for years but now something is really here it's all a bit surreal? Or am I the only one? 🙄😁

I was thinking this today. I'm not a die hard prepper, but had a little brexit stash and started a little covid stash. Turns out it wasn't enough! I had enough for two weeks isolation. I can't believe we're in this situation. I feel like it's a nightmare I'm going to wake up from at some point.

I describe myself as a food hoarder rather than prepper, I bulk buy - but we quickly start to run low feeding 6!

Not a prepper by any means but I have always shopped and included extra bits of one part of my shop especially when a good deal is available and thus have stocked up on toilet paper, nappies, cleaning products and toiletries and store cupboard stuff to last me almost a year but over a very long period of time and just buying one or two more than I need. It makes shopping easier for the days I dont feel like it or am too busy. Also shopping without a car in my early 20s made me want to get my money's worth out of my taxi ride from the supermarket once a month and so that top ups only included stuff I could carry. Glad it's come in handy.

I prepped for Brexit initially. But when I had prepped for brexit, it expanded into a general prep.
It feels so so surreal that sometimes prior to this I'd look at my prep and call myself a paranoid loon and tell myself to get a grip.

Now look where we are.

@chicken2015

Ex admitted that he thought I was crazy... He was really reluctant to take the first three bags and loo roll...

Not so crazy now huh!

I’m another who had a well-stocked pantry as default as a child. Despite very low income. Very basic foraging, bushcraft etc were made just kind of normal by a mother I now realise was a prepper. Then as an adult carried on in a very low key way.

Brexit kind of activated my hidden prepper and slowly grew my stash. I somehow must have sensed things were changing and got my usual big monthly shop about a week earlier than usual, which turned out to be a week before panic buying started.

This week I was getting worried I was going to have to do a mumsnet chicken to last the week and had started rationing portions only to open the freezer and realise we would have plenty for at least a month. Felt light as a balloon and it has been so nice to just stop worrying about essentials.

Thank you to all the regular prepper posters, I think there will have been many other lurkers who have been taking your advice for the past few years and now find themselves in a more comfortable position.

I’ve always had a well stocked larder and medicine cabinet.
Then brexit I ranked it up a bit, then relaxed and the in Jan when the virus started in China I started upping my stocks. DH thought I was crazy

Although I really wish the virus wasn’t happening I kind of feel vindicated that my foresight was right and that we have food to see us through. DS1 has a high temp so we are 9 days into a 14 day self isolation. So we seem to have missed the extreme craziness at the shops and once we can leave the house again I’m hoping things are calmer.

I spent one break from work inventorying the stash in the wardrobe yesterday. Among other things, I have plenty of biscuits and crisps, more rice than I expected, I definitely need to make flapjacks with 2 big bags of porridge oats (especially as we don't eat it for breakfast), but I am disappointed with myself that I have no spare tinned tomatoes or tuna.

But today's plan is to do an inventory on the actual kitchen cupboards, and start plans to make the family uses up older things that they just "didn't fancy" as they needed longer cooking or whatever. The freezer is not too bad - there is probably about 2-3 weeks of meat there among other bits - but I definitely need to have a better list to use it up rationally.

I also had to change the supermarket order last night - we realised we had plenty of a couple of things but had run out of a few others (none life threatening!), so wanted to add those if I could. One of the things that was "unavailable" when I went in to the order was the 9 pack of toilet rolls, the alternative on the virtual shelf from the same brand was an 18 roll pack, so I ordered that instead. We'll manage fine without for another couple of weeks, but if it's in stock now, it would be better to get it and have it when things drag on and we are trying to avoid shops but can't get deliveries so will only be looking for bread, milk and veg in a quick dash through.

I seem to be unable to think clearly. I find myself standing and staring for five minutes at a time, just blank.

Getting motivated is hard.

I definitely need to inventory mine, some are in boxes some in bags. I prepped for Brexit, I did not expect the pandemic. I’ve been in lockdown for a week now and it’s only today that I’ve felt more calm. Very glad I had my supplies in. Only had to run out for two things. Neither of which were toilet rolls!

Funny old day today. Work stuff - both outing and boring so I won't explain further.
I had to force myself to get up.
Dh insists on shopping to protect my preps which he now realises were a good thing and took a lot of effort and resources from me.
I keep trying to explain that we have stuff in to avoid going to the shops.
We'll work it out. But a funny old day.

bellinisurge My DH is the same, he keeps saying he's prepared to go to the shops to top up, as he noticing the amount DC go through. I keep saying no need too we have plenty! and that's the whole point we don't have to go. then he say well I don't mean now...but.....

I think he's just getting twitchy and misses the shops. 🤷‍♀️

I have 4 levels of supplies, we are just scratching the surface of the first level (first level is no change in our food routine)

I'm not surprised at all. I'm very calm right now and getting on with it.

OP like you I read end of world fiction as a teenager. But I also knew a pandemic was always a question of not if but when (have a statistician in the family).

Also that our system is very vulnerable, the end of capitalism / climate change will hit us in unexpected ways that aren't always obviously related at first.

We prepped for Brexit but sadly have been skint so haven't been able to replenish supplies. I'm a pepper at heart but skint and very easily distracted so not a very effective prepper recently, sadly.

I'm not a prepper but i read the threads around Brexit and the possible shortages did sound plausable, so I started keeping 2 weeks worth of food in (at least) and I have to say I've been so glad for it.

Yes, definitely feels a bit surreal. I've enough to see me through about 6 months, built up very gradually as I'm pretty skint but brought up by a mother who knew how to make a penny do the work of a pound through necessity.
Some of my stock I hope never to have to use - would you believe I have a radiation suit, gas mask, geiger counter, potassium iodide tablets??? Other stuff I have could well come in handy in the near future - wind-up lanterns, candles, oil lamps etc. I'm pretty good at urban foraging too & can pick up quite a lot as well as growing a fair bit of my own vegetables & fruit.
The Zombie Apocalypse doesn't seem too far fetched right now.