a personal comment on this stockpiling

JenniRen

Desdemona

Dandelions are the way to go, you can eat every part of it and make coffee out of the roots apparently.

Perhaps now is the time to take a foraging course.

But won't you spend a lot of time rushing to the loo?
That's another problem if there's a water shortage, flushing the loo.

Dig a deep hole at the end of the garden, use that as a toilet and cover with a plank of wood or a stone slab between uses. Water couldn't be wasted flushing loos if "the s##t really hit the fan" to coin a phrase.

Not sure about people living in flats though?

misb

If there are serious outages of power and water will there be any broadcasts at all,wind up radio or not?
Similarly ,no water to flush the loo,what use loo rolls.Whats to be done with the waste!
Or am I catastrophing as usual.

Yes. AI response
• Broadcasting House & Key Facilities: Major production and key operational centers like BBC Broadcasting House and primary transmitter sites are equipped with backup generators to maintain limited, critical public service broadcasting during a power outage.
• National Transmitters: Major transmitter sites (such as Droitwich, Westerglen, and Burghead) feature large diesel backup generators designed to keep essential emergency radio channels on the air for extended periods.
• Prioritization of Services: In a severe national power cut or emergency, television and standard commercial stations are typically scaled back or shut off to conserve power, while key national radio services—specifically BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4—are prioritized to relay government emergency information.
• Local vs. National Coverage: While major national infrastructure and primary hubs have robust generator cover lasting days or weeks, many local radio stations have limited backup power lasting only a couple of hours.

Re flushing the loo.

Assuming it’s not a drought period, we would have several water butts, hopefully full.

If we were desperate, would have to boil it for drinking also.

misb

If there are serious outages of power and water will there be any broadcasts at all,wind up radio or not?
Similarly ,no water to flush the loo,what use loo rolls.Whats to be done with the waste!
Or am I catastrophing as usual.

In childhood we lived in my gran

dparents house which had no plumbing, no water, and no flush lav. We all used a bucket under a wooden seat in the outhouse, and buried the contents in the veg garden.

We still wiped our bottoms ( with squares of newspaper).

In the 1990's my next door neighbour still lived in the house he was born in; with no plumbing or water supply. He also had no outhouse. He peed in the bushes and used the traditional method of shitting on a newspaper, folding it up and burning it on the kitchen range.

I just mention this to help you all in the dark days.

Desdemona

Dandelions are the way to go, you can eat every part of it and make coffee out of the roots apparently.

Perhaps now is the time to take a foraging course.

But won't you spend a lot of time rushing to the loo?
That's another problem if there's a water shortage, flushing the loo.

Whethertomorrow

Why are people still buying wooden matches? Totally unreliable and quite frankly dangerous. They can burn down to your fingers or cause a fire if dropped.
I use a gas lighter. Just pull the trigger and if you take your finger off the trigger it goes out! It’s at a good length from your hand so safer. They last ages and are very cheap and they don’t stop working when damp. You can also get cans of gas to refill if you want.

I bought a pack of gas lighters last winter from the A company.
One worked for a while but the others didn't.
Be careful where you purchase them.

If there are serious outages of power and water will there be any broadcasts at all,wind up radio or not?
Similarly ,no water to flush the loo,what use loo rolls.Whats to be done with the waste!
Or am I catastrophing as usual.

Dandelions are the way to go, you can eat every part of it and make coffee out of the roots apparently.

Perhaps now is the time to take a foraging course.

Redcar

Has any serious thought been given to those who are barely able to afford to buy food for a week? How are they expected to stock up on extra food, batteries etc?

I'm sure most people are aware that having a full larder is a privilege, but again - the point of those who can afford to do so making the effort is so that if an emergency situation happens, there will be enough to go round for the vulnerable, as the prepared won't be buying up all the baked beans and bottled water.

My children have always told me that I have 'siege mentality', so have enough tinned and packaged food in my flat to last me through a very long time. Not deliberate, just that if I see a special offer on something that I regularly use, I tend to purchase extra - and that goes into store.

Mind you, have to make sure I know where my easy to use manual tin opener is - normally I use an electric one - and that will not of use if there is an outage!!!

Has any serious thought been given to those who are barely able to afford to buy food for a week? How are they expected to stock up on extra food, batteries etc?

I have a sizeable larder which is always kept at a certain level, lest I fall ill and can't get out or the weather is too inclement etc. It's a bit careless to get down to your last packet of digestives and then go rushing to the nearest convenience shop to pay through the nose.

Whethertomorrow

Why are people still buying wooden matches? Totally unreliable and quite frankly dangerous. They can burn down to your fingers or cause a fire if dropped.
I use a gas lighter. Just pull the trigger and if you take your finger off the trigger it goes out! It’s at a good length from your hand so safer. They last ages and are very cheap and they don’t stop working when damp. You can also get cans of gas to refill if you want.

To be very safe I have a chargeable electric lighter, costs next to nothing: yes it needs charging up but lasts for ages and ages once charged. And a cigarette lighter for candles.

petra

Am I the only one that finds the thought of burning books abhorrent 😱

It is abhorrent, but if this is all that is left and its life and death?

The point of being prepared is that if or when items are needed there won't be a run on them with attendant shortages, and if it is risky to go out (eg in a storm or blizzard) people can stay indoors. The advice is being given to ensure that emergency services can concentrate on protecting the genuinely vulnerable, rather than those who have nothing in store.

Why are people still buying wooden matches? Totally unreliable and quite frankly dangerous. They can burn down to your fingers or cause a fire if dropped.
I use a gas lighter. Just pull the trigger and if you take your finger off the trigger it goes out! It’s at a good length from your hand so safer. They last ages and are very cheap and they don’t stop working when damp. You can also get cans of gas to refill if you want.

petra

Am I the only one that finds the thought of burning books abhorrent 😱

I could never bring myself to burn a book, even if I disliked it or disagreed with the content, it’s a big no from me.

I've got just the basics, and they are all tinned or in tetra packs or bottled water..having said that, I live on a hill so flooding won't happen chez moi.

I look forward to grass eating consequences, maybe BlueBelle you could "test drive" and report back?

Herbs and spices I find are useless for keeping their flavours which disappear very quickly
I think the next thing we ll have is stuff unavailable as all the hoarders and worriers, stockpile it all up.
Ahh well it’s one way to lose weight
I m not going to play into it I ll just keep living my life as normally as possible if somethings not available I ll use something else and if nothings available I ll starve or eat grass 🤣🤣🤣

Am I the only one that finds the thought of burning books abhorrent 😱

I just think a little control and sense is required!

Enough food/water/loo rolls/batteries/wind up torch/power banks - yes!

Enough supplies to support a small country for a year? No, no, no!!

nanna8

I have years and year’s worth of books. Guess I could keep warm and have light by setting fire to them .

😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

A news item featured a woman who had ‘stockpiled’, ‘prepped’, …whatever you want to call it.

She opened cupboard after cupboard filled with everything you could need. Packet after packet of rice, pasta, tinned stuff, camping stoves, battery chargers….

Plus various spices, herbs, flavourings, as she felt stuff would get ‘boring’ after a while.

And two huge empty containers which I assumed she planned to fill with tap water.

I felt most of it would be long out of date before she used it, but then dates don’t really matter in times of crisis.

But OTT.

One doesn't have to live in a 'flood area' to be flooded.
Last week a family I know were flooded. A burst water main was responsible. The family have lost irreplaceable items.
They are of course insured, but some things cannot be replaced by money.
Since this family's dreadful shock another water main has burst, this time lower down the road.

I tried that once nanna8
A medium sized book that I didnt agree with, so didnt want others to read it either.
Gave about 5 mins of heat.
Had assumed it would give out a lot more heat than that.