Preparedness for when the SHTF

[bossymoo]

I have been to mr a today and didn't seem to be any low stock issues. Until after I left haha

[Popperwell]

Originally Posted by bossymoo

I have been to mr a today and didn't seem to be any low stock issues. Until after I left haha

So it's you is it?

[Evie74]

I went to Mr T and A!di yesterday and neither seemed to have any stock issues either - I guess it depends where you are geographically and the size of the store?

Evie xx

[Possession]

Originally Posted by Evie74

I went to Mr T and A!di yesterday and neither seemed to have any stock issues either - I guess it depends where you are geographically and the size of the store?

Evie xx

and how many OSers live near you.

[Evie74]

Originally Posted by Possession

and how many OSers live near you.

.... Oh that's very true Possession! Clearly there aren't too many in my neck of the woods (although if I remember rightly you had the "torch experience" on the same day as me so I guess you aren't a million miles away!)

Evie xx

[thriftwizard]

Can I just say that none of us, anywhere, know what's round the corner? Whilst it's extremely unlikely, there are such things as intracrustal earthquakes which can strike anywhere, including places well away from tectonic plate boundaries, because they come from really, really deep down. Bird flu hasn't gone away; it probably isn't ever going to be a huge threat (I'm a backyard poultrykeeper myself) but the next big epidemic might come from, say, mice, or gnats, or something quite unexpected. There are some big volcanoes out there that are well "overdue" & whilst we in the UK are well away from those, our "just-in-time" transport & delivery networks are very vulnerable to disruption from ash clouds. Weather-related disasters seem to be becoming rather more common than they were, for whatever reason. There are various conflicts going on elsewhere, some of them in places that do have nuclear capabilities. There are unmapped & very ancient mine workings under housing estates in some parts of the UK, and many more have recently been built on flood plains.

Some time ago, the Government handed responsibility for keeping people fed in a national emergency to the supermarkets, who have just 3 days supplies in stock. But it could take more than 3 days for things to return to some semblance of normality after a disaster of any kind; it certainly did after hurricane Katrina.

So although most of the time, for most of us, life just ticks along pretty normally, it's possibly a bit optimistic to assume that it always will for all of us. Some preparedness, just a few sensible precautions and some non-perishable supplies on hand, and an emergency kit/BOB/whatever you want to call it, in case you ever have to leave home in a hurry, strikes me as the least you should do, particularly if you are responsible for other people's wellbeing, like children or elderly relatives.

A quick aside - one of my friends used to live in Beverly Hills, with the San Andreas fault, running very close by, a constant threat. Her biggest dread was that in the event of an earthquake, she'd be crushed under her own emergency supplies of tinned food & bottled water...

[Fruball]

Originally Posted by princesstippytoes

Why are you worried when you are the one recommending that people stockpile? Maybe thousands are reading this thread (and the US survivalist sites which have been linked to) and doing as you are all advising. Or maybe your particular Tesco had a particularly busy day.

I'm not necessarily 'recommending people stockpile' and If I am, then its BECAUSE I am worried.

There will always be people who mock, but those people will be literally eating their words when the SHTF, whatever that means to them - to me it's mostly buying stuff whilst I can afford it and having a few supplies in just in case of emergency.

I don't know if/when my neighbours house has a gas explosion and blows my house apart (in which case my supply will be useless), or there is a power strike/extended power cut.

I do know that IF I had stored a bit of water a few years ago, when my stupid ex beggared up the plumbing, I would have had water for me, my son and 2 babies.

I've been in situations when I have relied on my supplies, and been in situations when I needed them and had none.

When I was stranded in my car, like many others, in snow and was advised by the police to walk home (3 miles) I chose not to because I had food, drinks, full tank of fuel, ciggies and a blanket, hat, gloves and spare scarves etc in my car

So, if others choose not to prep then that is up to them - i learned the hard way and prefer to be prepared.

[Popperwell]

Frugal, in the last few minutes I posted a link on the tough thread which shows some of the very reasons we should be afraid and why we are making a store room, it is not because of a natural disaster in this case...but it ties in with what you have said...

[Fruball]

Originally Posted by Popperwell

Frugal, in the last few minutes I posted a link on the tough thread which shows some of the very reasons we should be afraid and why we are making a store room, it is not because of a natural disaster in this case...but it ties in with what you have said...

Please could you put a link here as I cannot find it xxx

[Popperwell]

ok its a blog but it tells such a lot, sorry if it worries or upsets...there is a link in the post about part time work, voluntary work and even someone on Twitter worried that could go against him...

http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2012...eserving-poor/

And the story about someone on HB who appeared on Newsnight...and we haven't even talked about the bedroom tax(if you are in social housing or renting privately but have spare rooms...plus a reduction in help with CT if you get that now...

Lets hope we have a home otherwise we may not have anywhere for our store of food either...let alone ourselves...

xx

[GreyQueen]

Excellent post, thriftwizard.

My city is built on ancient (think centuries old) mine workings. Nobody knows where most of them are and they're only discovered when they collapse, demolishing whatever home, business or road sits on top of them.

I know people who have had to flee fires. Fires which were extinguished without anything more than partial loss of the home but they were still in emergency accomodation for over a month. Dousing fires puts a lot of water into the home and bu88ers up the electrics and smoke damage is revolting. Did you know uPVC plastic doors and windows melt quite easily? It was a revelation to my pal. And those poor souls who've been severely flooded are sometimes out of their homes for a year.........

Great fun doing an emergency evac in the middle of the night and finding yourself on the street barefoot in your jammies. Think how comforting an emergency bag with some basic toiletries, a pair of knicks and your paperwork would have been.

The pal who was burned out is Ms Paranoid Prepper these days........

[Fruball]

Originally Posted by GreyQueen

Excellent post, thriftwizard.

My city is built on ancient (think centuries old) mine workings. Nobody knows where most of them are and they're only discovered when they collapse, demolishing whatever home, business or road sits on top of them.

I know people who have had to flee fires. Fires which were extinguished without anything more than partial loss of the home but they were still in emergency accomodation for over a month. Dousing fires puts a lot of water into the home and bu88ers up the electrics and smoke damage is revolting. Did you know uPVC plastic doors and windows melt quite easily? It was a revelation to my pal. And those poor souls who've been severely flooded are sometimes out of their homes for a year.........

Great fun doing an emergency evac in the middle of the night and finding yourself on the street barefoot in your jammies. Think how comforting an emergency bag with some basic toiletries, a pair of knicks and your paperwork would have been.

The pal who was burned out is Ms Paranoid Prepper these days........

Quite.... I think some people just assume that preppers are dealing with a potential zombie/apocolypse situation... More fool them really, without wanting to appear rude.

Nobody knows what is round the corner and, thankfully, there are people who have read this thread and actually thought "I could learn from this"

[Popperwell]

This has come to light tonight which ties in with the earlier link...
and again shows we don't know what's around the corner...

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-se...-wr2011-ia.pdf

[raphanius]

Originally Posted by Frugal

Either our local MrT is having a problem getting stock or people are buying to store.

Lots of shelves empty or very low, even the freezers!!!

Broccoli is labelled as from Poland and is expensive. The cheap tinned potatoes were all gone and so had all the cheap value kidney beans and the brand up from that. No tinned tomato soup at all and no chicken pies in the freezer section whatsoever.

All a bit worrying if you ask me.

i can explain the lack of broccoli. thats down to the rain. crops are rotting in the fields and stores are fighting to import from europe.

i have noticed similar empty spaces in my mr t for a while. i go coupon shopping and fail to get anything. can't get andrex eco anywhere for example.

[Possession]

Originally Posted by Evie74

.... Oh that's very true Possession! Clearly there aren't too many in my neck of the woods (although if I remember rightly you had the "torch experience" on the same day as me so I guess you aren't a million miles away!)

Evie xx

Yes I think we must be close! There don't appear to be any shortages here although I must admit I have been avoiding shops. DH has come home with everything on his little list though, and the big stock shop I did at Mr T had everything present and correct.
This thread has definitely made me think and I am going to try to be more prepared for whatever life throws at me. I have added a head torch and wind up lanterns and radio to my Amazon wishlist so my family are going to be very confused come Christmas time!

[Fruball]

Originally Posted by raphanius

i can explain the lack of broccoli. thats down to the rain. crops are rotting in the fields and stores are fighting to import from europe.

i have noticed similar empty spaces in my mr t for a while. i go coupon shopping and fail to get anything. can't get andrex eco anywhere for example.

I know why it's happening. It's not only broccoli that is affected either, all crops will be affected which is going to push prices up even further

But does this not just show how fragile our food supply chain is and why it is a good idea to keep a store?

[Popperwell]

Originally Posted by Possession

Yes I think we must be close! There don't appear to be any shortages here although I must admit I have been avoiding shops. DH has come home with everything on his little list though, and the big stock shop I did at Mr T had everything present and correct.
This thread has definitely made me think and I am going to try to be more prepared for whatever life throws at me. I have added a head torch and wind up lanterns and radio to my Amazon wishlist so my family are going to be very confused come Christmas time!

Well, I'll keep adding to the store, may have to get some crates, I did not want to but...and I suppose my immediate list of items is a backback/rugstack, shopping trolley, lighter, spare flints/butane gas, wind up lanterns and radio, another wind up torch and head torch, water puryfying tablets. Then perhaps I can stop for a while...

With what looks like is coming I think I need to have some spare cash...

[Possession]

Originally Posted by Popperwell

Well, I'll keep adding to the store, may have to get some crates, I did not want to but...and I suppose my immediate list of items is a backback/rugstack, shopping trolley, lighter, spare flints/butane gas, wind up lanterns and radio, another wind up torch and head torch, water puryfying tablets. Then perhaps I can stop for a while...

With what looks like is coming I think I need to have some spare cash...

Yes there's a danger of spending so much on preparing for if the SHTF that you don't have the cash to sit tight through the S hitting TF.

[kittie]

It is called `being prepared` and is more relevant today in the IT age, than ever, with all the utilities, supermarkets, ordering systems and so on all based on computer technology, it would not take more than a group of determined hackers to disrupt the supply lines for energy, food, water and money

However there is a limit and crossing that line goes just too far and it becomes laughable. For example, getting a crossbow, just in case as on a uk preppers thread

Some people have been affected by the worry aspect and there is no need, just take it in your stride and make prepping part of your everyday life, get a bit extra from time to time and store it away.

I think a quick pick up bag is a good idea if you have attached neighbours, have gas or if you are in a flood zone. Our house is on its own and we are not in a flood zone and we have no gas so, in our case, I just have the document file in a drawer. The car is always backed up at the front on our space and the key is always handy but that is common sense

All that stuff re windup everything, well I have all that as I have been prepared for just about a lifetime. I have water filters that will make stream and butt water fit to drink, I have camping gear and gas, I have a cook on ozpig and fuel and I have cash in the house

Two winters ago we were suddenly stranded here in the village for six weeks and my stores did us proud, no power cuts but everything that could be charged was charged, kindles, ds`s, torches, radios and we had chocolate and wine so it was like an ethereal holiday

[Possession]

This is the kind of thing it might help to be prepared for:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-flood...061538792.html
Kyushu is my favourite part of Japan. At least people in Japan are likely to be better prepared than we are here as they live daily with the threat of earthquakes, tsunamis and regularly typhoons.