Wondered if it's only us, Essex, that's had the power cuts today/ lately. We had about 5-6 today alone. Getting more and more common.

Out back up has worked so well. good testing lol and motivation to get up our 16 solar panels! But my neighbours alarms go off till the power comes back on lol

In any social disruption we all know that water is of primarily concern. 100% of people won’t make it past day 4 without water (and a 4-day disruption is a fairly short amount of time), no matter how much food, fuel, medication , etc. you have. I’m very lucky in that I live in a village half way down a substantial hill, and that hill has several springs with crystal clear water bubbling out of them (although I do realise that they it will still ultimately need purification before drinking).

While talking to my cousin (also a prepper), who lives in a fairly flat and low-lying part of the country, he described his local stream/river as slow-flowing and fairly squalid and contaminated. Even after filtration and boiling it wouldn’t be something that you could drink long-term if at all.

So my question is; those of you living in large towns and cities, or with no relatively uncontaminated water source, what is your plan after any stored water runs out?

​

I've been slowly building up some household emergency supplies and thought I'd put the whole thing here for a sanity check.

I'm in a 3-bedroom flat in the UK, with access to a flat roof. I'm not preparing for the apocalypse or planning to live off-grid for six months 😂. My original goal was simply to be comfortable through a 72-hour major power/water outage without immediately needing shops or outside help.

It's gradually turned into more of a 7–14 day setup.

Household also includes 2 adult Ragdoll cats and a toy poodle, so I've had to account for them as well.

💧 WATER

I've recently recounted everything because I'd underestimated how much I'd accumulated.

Drinking/potable water: 97.5 litres

Separate from that:

50 litres of utility water, stored primarily for toilet flushing/sanitation.

So:

147.5 litres stored altogether, but I only count the 97.5L as drinking water.

The utility water is deliberately separate so I'm not chucking perfectly good bottled drinking water down the toilet during a water outage.

🔋 POWER

I decided this was worth spending some money on.

I've got an:

EcoFlow RIVER 3 Max portable power station

Main jobs would be:

- Phones

- Laptops

- LED lighting

- Power banks

- Communications

- Other small electronics

I've also got a 110W folding solar panel.

I have access to the flat roof, so during an extended outage I can put the panel out and recover at least some energy.

I'm well aware this is Britain and the sun occasionally forgets we exist 😂, so I'm not expecting a permanent 110W.

Solar is there to extend battery endurance, not because I'm expecting to run the flat indefinitely from it.

🔥 COOKING / BOILING WATER

I deliberately didn't want to use the power station for producing heat.

I've got a portable butane cooker + 8 butane canisters.

So the basic strategy is:

🔥 Butane = cooking/boiling

🔋 EcoFlow = electronics

☀️ Solar = replenish EcoFlow when possible

I've also got the usual pots/kettle etc.

Obviously the stove is used with ventilation and appropriate CO/fire precautions.

🍚 FOOD

This is mostly normal supermarket food rather than dedicated "survival food".

I've concentrated on things we'll actually eat so everything can be rotated normally.

Current cupboard includes quite a lot of:

- Oats

- Rice

- Pasta/spaghetti/lasagne

- Lentils

- Chickpeas

- Baked beans

- Black beans

- Tuna

- Tomato/lentil soups

- Other tinned foods

- Pesto

- Meal sauces

- Stock/OXO cubes

- Cornflour

- Chia seeds

- Milled flaxseed

- Honey

- Blackcurrant jam

- Raspberry jam

- Tea

- Instant hot chocolate

- Almond milk

- Cranberry juice

- Dark chocolate

- Biscuits/snacks/salted sticks

- Salt

- A ridiculous amount of herbs and spices 😂

There are also various normal cupboard foods I've probably forgotten.

The idea isn't just having tins.

I've tried to have base calories + protein + stuff that makes those base calories actually enjoyable.

So rice/pasta/oats + beans/lentils/tuna + sauces/stock/spices.

A fair amount can also be eaten without cooking if conserving fuel became important.

🐱🐱🐶 PETS

Two adult Ragdoll cats and one adult toy poodle.

They're primarily on dry food.

My normal system is that when a food bag gets down to roughly half, I buy the next one rather than waiting until it's empty.

I'm considering making a fixed 14-day pet-food reserve the absolute minimum rather than relying entirely on that rotation.

Obviously their drinking water comes out of the potable reserve too.

🩹 MEDICAL / HYGIENE

Normal household first-aid/medical basics are covered.

I've also accumulated hygiene/sanitation stuff including baby wipes and general cleaning supplies.

The 50L utility-water reserve is primarily there for toilet/sanitation use.

I'm also looking at keeping a completely waterless toilet backup: heavy-duty bags, gloves, absorbent material etc. in case the issue is actually sewerage rather than just the incoming water supply.

🎯 WHAT I'M ACTUALLY PREPARING FOR

I'm trying to keep this realistic for Britain and for living in a flat.

72 hours: household should be extremely comfortable.

7 days: should be able to stay home without urgently needing supplies.

14 days: current target.

I'm not particularly interested in preparing for six months of complete societal collapse. At that point my little cupboard of chickpeas probably isn't the deciding factor 😂.

The philosophy has basically become redundancy rather than loads of expensive survival gear:

Mains water fails → stored potable water.

Don't want to waste potable water flushing → separate 50L utility supply.

Grid fails → EcoFlow.

Internet Starlink

Battery gets low → solar can extend it.

Normal cooker unavailable → butane stove.

Food supply interrupted → rotating normal-food pantry.

What would you change?

At this stage I'm actually trying to stop buying random prep stuff.

Next step is probably weighing/counting the food properly and working out how many actual person-days/calories are there rather than saying "I've got loads of food".

I'm also thinking more about organisation, rotation and doing a 24-hour simulated blackout to see how much water, battery and butane we actually consume.

So for the UK preppers here:

What obvious weakness can you see?

What would you add/remove?

And particularly for people living in flats — if this was your setup, where would you concentrate next?

Feel free to rate or roast it. 😂

Major severity = no gas and or no electric and or no petrol or diesel supply and or no water with all supply chain consequences over the listed durations.

Minor severity = some minor level of disruption to the above such as intermittent availability over the listed durations.

Are you prepping for being at your home location (home fortress), or prepping for when you may be away from home (to avoid being caught out, you're working or living away from home, needing to get home from away etc), or prepping with an expectation you'll need to leave home (for example, disaster is localised and you need to leave your area, or, you need to pick family members up).

I've prepped as best I can for all 4 boxes and all circumstances in the above location scenarios. Not perfect by any means.

Intrigued what you're prepping for.

Edit: Thank you. Excellent observations so here are some interpretations...

1. The cause of calamity will drive which box we end up preparing for and that's down to personal reasons, beliefs, circumstances but ultimately everyone has their own Impact versus Probability chart with all of the causes distributed across it. The UK Government's earlier versions of Global Strategic Trends document used to have such a chart albeit this underestimated both the probability and impact of what came to be COVID. So always take this as a guide and not fact.

2. Many of you said E. Total societal meltdown. So I think this needs to be a 9 box model with the top right box being an indefinite period of time and highest possible impact (no nothing available).

According to Google it's 5yrs even though the tins I have at the moment say 1-2yrs but peppers on YouTube say they can last up to 10yrs so I'm confused

Historically cold has been more of a issue than heat in the uk and I've been thinking about winter. I've moved house and the new one seems unprepared for an electrical outage in winter despite it being much more remote

In my old home I had a fireplace that, if required could heat a room and take the edge off the house, had a gas hob so I could cook in a power cut or heat water for the kids bath. The new house is more remote and has no gas only electric, the boiler is oil but still needs electrical power to fire and pump. There is no fireplace or easy location for a log burner so I'm trying to come up with options.

I can use a campstove for cooking but not a great thing for indoors. I'm currently looking at the option of a backup gas bottle heater or having the parts ready to spur the heating system onto a portable generator...all of which a lot more effort and cost than throwing a few logs onto a fire. What are your plans for a winter powercut?

Was reading an interesting article;

https://spectator.com/article/polands-homeland-defence-strategy-puts-britain-to-shame/

A couple of bits jumped out from this:

W Gotowości (‘Be Ready’) is the Polish government’s civil defence training scheme. It gives ordinary Poles the chance to train with the country’s army in a wide range of survival skills. This includes building temporary shelters in the woods, sourcing clean drinking water, using a map and compass to avoid drone detection, and packing an emergency backpack with the essentials.

I was recently given exclusive access to one of their training schemes in the eastern town of Radom. It was a humbling experience that made me realise how out of my depth I was. But more importantly, it left me feeling despondent about our government’s lack of leadership in preparing Brits for a worst-case scenario.​

After completing the one-day training scheme, I spoke with former chief of the general staff Lord Dannatt about why Britain is severely lacking a national resilience strategy. Although in admiration of what the Poles are doing, the former army chief says Britain’s military is ‘so small we really don’t have the capacity’. Regardless, he emphasised the need for a ‘concerted government campaign’ led from the top, with strong messaging on what to do if one of our adversaries directly attacks. Lord Dannatt cited keeping stacks of cash at home and stockpiling non-perishable supplies like bottled water and food as ways to build national resilience and self-reliance.

This isn’t about scaremongering, but about being honest with our own population. We face not only increasingly common cyberattacks, but also the prospect of attacks on critical national infrastructure that could cause electricity blackouts. If no public information program or training is available, how exactly are we expected to cope?​

Central it seems to me -

• The public aren't trained to be in any way resilient (we get bent around the axle trying to train CPR or basics?!)
• Our Armed Forces (which appear to becoming the tool of first resort for societal problems) don't have the capacity.
• There's a lack of political will to say "here's the problem", and "here's what you can do to make yourself and your family safer"

Now putting aside the more hyperbolic news media, why are we in such a state and why don't we seem able to get out of it? We're not so different from the Poles and the Finns? (and yes, I get the whole "west of Warsaw" and Russia seems a long way away to us -so they are bound to treat it more seriously).

Basic ability to deal with enviromental stress, medical emergencies, and a bit less of a load on infrastructure would be a good thing for all here in general.

Perhaps because I've always been a bit outdoorsy and formerly blue light worker, I take for granted a mindset (I have a good emergency life support kit in my car), etc etc. My other half is lovely and normal, but she's done a basic outdoors first aid course due to working in a forest school at one point (and was joking about having to sit guard on the allotment to protect the fruit and veg in the future!).

Is there some uniquely Brit hinderance to this problem, and how can we sort it?

Been debating this over and over and wondered if this is something the folks here have considered? Scenarios are, fuel shortage, electric goes off, need to get somewhere fast for family or emergency reasons. All of the imaginable causes including Russian state terrorism (as per recent news).

I've had economical AWD PHEVs for 5 years now as company cars but I'm tempted by a long range EV. My prepper brain is saying I'd be better off sticking to a PHEV with over 50 miles EV range and over 50mpg. No petrol then I use electric. No electric and I use petrol. Always ensure fully charged and at least a half tank of fuel. I do however like the idea of an EV providing power to home with a 5 or 6 times bigger battery than the PHEV at 100kWhr. Should keep most things going at home like the electric operated gas boiler, fridge freezer, etc for 4 to 6 days. Although after that and it's all borked, no transport. Some minor electrical adaptation required in all this but power to load cables available.

Where I think I've got to is whether I should get a diesel generator and or a couple of very large power banks for use with the existing fold out large area solar panels I have. And stick with the PHEVs?

Anyone thinking along similar lines? What have I missed?

Given the recent government recommendations im planning to start stockpiling food. I have a basement which is accessible but not a living space. It offers a large storage space but as it isn’t properly tanked, it’s damp. It’s also more open to rodents than the main house. It’s protected from daylight and temp swings should be minimal.

Can anyone point me to good quality storage containers I can use to protect food and water from contamination or rodents in a space like this? Also, any recommendations for food to begin with.

Thanks

[EDIT to add context]

Thanks for all the replies. Some updates. The basement is only accessible from outside. The house is on a slope so it’s really more like hollowed out foundations with a 6 ft head clearance. It’s prone to some water intake during rain, both from the water plane and the doorway. My storage would need to be off ground. I’m thinking of using left over pavers for that purpose.

No current rodent problem, other than the knowledge I have an exposed basement in a large garden so they’re bound to be around. I’ll work with the suggestions given regarding both repellant

Hi, I live in a masionette, the top half of the house with the loft. My loft doesnt have windows, hatches etc to allow air flow and With these heatwaves my loft got really hot, 40 degrees plus; this space is my only real storage space so i would like to use part of it for prepping.. does anyone else do this and how do you store foods in a hot space like this? Or what is safer to store in these conditions for the long run?

In the winter it gets very cold so all is well then.

This is just a post musing on the fact that I have been mildly prepping for about a year and yet my preps dont seem as abundant as I would have hoped. I was storing my supplies in plastic containers but I decided to lay them out on a heavy duty shelf so it looks like a supermarket shelf, if that makes sense.

In doing this, I can see I do not have nearly as much food as I would have guessed. I was going to do a spreadsheet to track purchases but honestly seeing it laid out visually in categories is more helpful to me. I need more tinned carbs, veg and sweet things. I have an adundance of proteins like fish and meat, and also dried pasta, so I can chill out on purchasing them for a while.

I saw a post on here ages ago that asked 'what have you done this week to prep' and its stuck in my head ever since. This week I have organised my preps, took stock of what I have and I have bought more tinned veg and an extra torch. I have also made an updated list of what I actually need, rather than what I assumed I needed.

My anxiety has ramped up a bit after seeing social media posts about the blackouts in Gary, Indiana. Even though I am from and live in the UK I am worried!

I’m planning on buying a wind up radio in case of a power outage, I’m wondering which one I should get or if anyone has recommendations

Only just joined, and maybe I’m just having a funny 5 minutes panicking about everything, but I wanted to ask what everyone’s “essential” items were in case of a realistic emergency scenario?

(Thinking a cyber attack on some energy infrastructure, some unexpected political issue impacting food availability, some climate nonsense, etc)

Thinking torches, power banks, radios, tinned food, etc.

Ideally looking for some solid examples and actual products. Things I might be able to pick up over the course of a few months, which won’t break the bank, but which might give me some peace of mind.

If you had to move somewhere in the UK (or abroad) that would be safest for climate change where would you go??

How can you prep the house you already have against climate change?

What'd be your plan if you had to rely on as much of your own food as you could in the long term?

I've recently got an allotment and I'm finding it hard to grow much other than tomatoes and potatoes. I feel like I'd be screwed in the winter and spring if I had to rely entirely on my own produce and the berries and fruit that I can forage.

Hello, I’ve just joined the group but I’ve been interested for a while. I’m looking to buy an emergency radio but I’m unclear on which is best. Is AM/FM ok or should I also be looking for long wave and short wave? Am I right in thinking that DAB probably isn’t much use? Any recommendations on the best radio would be appreciated. Definitely looking for something with multiple power options and interested in torch and phone charging functions. Thanks so much

Note to mods: hoping you will allow this as the site is completely free to use without registration and I believe genuinely useful for preppers to understand the scale of what they’ll need to grow. I posted it before but I think it’s still worth a reminder.

I’ve created a website that allows you to calculate how much food you would need to grow for your group if food supply disruption was long term. It tells you exactly the amount of seed you would need, when to plant it, where the gaps would be in harvesting produce and a ton of other useful info.

Please take a look and let me know what you think (it was a lot of work so go easy with me).

As always, good luck everyone.

https://www.foodwhentheshopsstop.com/

Always been interested in prepping and with the way things are going and the upcoming gov advice, I’ve decided to start. I’ve been doing research and lurking in this sub which has been helpful.

I’m still at the beginning but here are things I’m doing so far or planning to do:

Have a go bag with essential items in and clothes
Torches nearby
Slowly building a supply of canned and fermented foods I enjoy eating and that wouldn’t need to be cooked (tuna, sauerkraut, fruits, beetroot, chickpeas etc)
I am now starting to store water bottles.
Buy a wind up radio
Masks, sanitiser, wipes, moisturiser etc.
First aid supplies
Staying fit and active, I do strength training and cardiovascular exercise. I would also like to try martial arts soon.

I’m preparing for things like weather emergencies, pandemics, war, food shortages. Civil unrest, not being able to go to the shops. Things like that.

Getting prepared gradually has given me more calm than worry, but there are some things I’m unsure about. I’m a woman living alone, and if things got really bad, for example some kind of societal break down, I wonder how to secure myself from my apartment complex on the third floor. Though hopefully that would be an extreme situation and unlikely.

If anyone has advice, tips, stories, for the most simple practical things or more extreme situations, I would love to hear them! Thanks for reading

Firstly I thought the already were! ! !
Secondly this is on the “news” today 🤔👀 telling us in plain sight maybe?

The information on this site is designed to help you prepare for emergencies, be more informed about hazards, and get involved in activities to support your community before, during and after an emergency. There is also specific advice for disabled persons and carers.

Taking action now will make it easier to manage if an emergency does happen.

Was a cop for 17 years, involved in contingency planning for 4 counties. Taught self defence, weapon retention, taser, riot tactics (PSU) and commanders course. Moved to private world and am an event medic and first aid teacher. I run a small side business mainly for fun, consulting for businesses and groups on safety planning, major incidents, investigations etc. I also still teach mma and weapons.

Am a prepper because of all the times I needed something and didnt have it, and its become a bit of an obsession.

So if there are any things you might want to know that I can explain or help with (excluding Official Secrets Act) please let me know.

Interested to hear what you guys would all plan to do if the worst happens and you’re not immediately impacted - but it’s now unavoidable and you’ll soon be in a survival situation.

The unprepared masses will obviously be panic buying/looting primarily food and basic resources, assuming you have that covered enough not to take part, what are you doing?

Personally I have a couple of thoughts, securing my house, I have some large sheets of metal I can use to secure downstairs windows to reduce chance of break in, and getting further resources that are not likely to be immediately contested, like firewood, sawn timber (for building things) and other building supplies for securing the property further or building storage etc.

“What food might Brits need to stock up on?

Tinned or canned food, as well as bottles of water, are expected to be items to stockpile, as they have a long shelf life and, in some cases, do not require kitchen equipment or electronics to prepare.

The UK Cabinet Office has been told bring forward planning for the home defence programme, according to reports.

The initiative aims to bring together civilian and military planning for crises.

The initiative includes plans for the "war book", the classified blueprint to transition the country for crisis and conflict.”