Preppers

[Hover Fly]

Yesterday visited a friend’s house. They showed us their stocks. Cupboards full of tinned fish, vegetables, fruit, canned meat; cases of cereal, milk powder, vitamin tablets, bottled water, puritabs , filled their garage, their car sat on the drive outside*. They’ve applied for firearms licences.
Without going into the politics of the upcoming Armageddon, are you ready for it?

*Where the EMP would render it useless.

 

[fossyant]

Oh deary me.

 

[VinSumRox]

Yesterday visited a friend’s house. They showed us their stocks. Cupboards full of tinned fish, vegetables, fruit, canned meat; cases of cereal, milk powder, vitamin tablets, bottled water, puritabs , filled their garage, their car sat on the drive outside*. They’ve applied for firearms licences.
Without going into the politics of the upcoming Armageddon, are you ready for it?

*Where the EMP would render it useless.

Which country are you in? I wondered from the firearms reference.

 

[ColinJ]

Without going into the politics of the upcoming Armageddon, are you ready for it?

I have at least a week's worth of supplies in my kitchen cupboards.

(You never know when the 'It is cold, wet and miserable out there so I am not going to walk to Aldi' Armageddon will arrive!)

 

[Hover Fly]

Which country are you in? I wondered from the firearms reference.

England.

 

[Hover Fly]

I have at least a week's worth of supplies in my kitchen cupboards.

(You never know when the 'It is cold, wet and miserable out there so I am not going to walk to Aldi' Armageddon will arrive!)

We’ve always had two weeks worth in the cupboards, for illness or whatever, but rotating.

 

[ColinJ]

We’ve always had two weeks worth in the cupboards, for illness or whatever, but rotating.

Actually, I could last much longer than a week if I stuck to very boring meals and was prepared to shed some of my flab.

 

[sungod]

Yesterday visited a friend’s house. They showed us their stocks. Cupboards full of tinned fish, vegetables, fruit, canned meat; cases of cereal, milk powder, vitamin tablets, bottled water, puritabs , filled their garage, their car sat on the drive outside*. They’ve applied for firearms licences.
Without going into the politics of the upcoming Armageddon, are you ready for it?

*Where the EMP would render it useless.

they've made their first mistake, now you know where to raid for supplies

 

[fossyant]

England.

Even more strange. Firearms ?

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Since all Armageddons appear unexpectedly — it is part of the specification — there is a common-sense case for keeping an emergency kit available. I suggest as much of the SAS survival manual stuff as you can fit in the largest single trunk that will go in the boot of your car. Replace all perishable items on a half-way to sell-by basis. Do I do this? Absolutely not. Is it worth doing? Probably yes; not because you will ever use it but because it acts as a practical reminder that houses burn down, houses flood, houses subside, disease strikes unpredictably, revolutions occur, invasions happen, and so on and so on. How many Jewish families have jewels sewn into clothing, bank deposits in three or more countries, family arrangements to lodge people rendered homeless? They are an expert group at this kind of activity — and they survive.

 

[figbat]

Even more strange. Firearms ?

Easy enough to get a shotgun licence. Well, it’s not easy but is achievable if rules are followed. A shotgun can be used for hunting and defence.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Do these people even venture beyond their own front door?

I can't imagine living with that level of paranoia. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Webbo2]

I have a couple of new chains and 2 spare tyres plus about a years supply of climbing chalk. Is the sort of thing you mean.

 

[SteveH80]

Having a couple of weeks worth of grub is always a good idea, but there's no need to get silly.
The nearest I've seen to the zombie apocalypse was Storm Arwen (10 days without electricity). Shops had defrosted freezers and none functioning payment systems, but others went back to cash and barter, no-one starved
The people who really suffered where those who only had heatpumps, but being rural the majority of people use a mix oil, gas and logburners.
We spent our compensation on a small petrol generator - now when there is there is power cut I'm left with a sense of smugness

 

[presta]

Assuming you're not intending to throw a stockpile of food away (and I think that's what most will end up doing) you'd have to eat it all eventually, and the bigger stock you you're trying to rotate the more impoverished your normal diet will become.

I stock up with non-perishables online every 40 days anyway just because that's about what it takes to meet the £50 minimum order. It's only 8 days since the last order, so I can get by for a while if I don't mind living off nowt much other than tinned toms, nuts, tuna, peanut butter, milk, porridge, and spaghetti. In another month there'll be little of it left though.

The problem for me, as I found out during covid, is that once the panic buying starts I can't compete, because I'm limited to two carrier bags, not a car that'll hold half a ton, and all the online delivery slots quickly get snapped up.