GB Govts Advice on disasters??

[mortalmerlin]

I’m not prepared for “who knows what”. I’m prepared for power cuts, floods, loss of the gas main, I’m prepared for fuel strikes that last a few weeks, and industrial action on the part of transport. I’m not stockpiling for the end of the world or even anarchic, lawlessness and the breakdown of civilisation.
In other word, I’m sort of ready for stuff that may happen, and not bothered about preparing for stuff from the “penny dreadful’s” and zombie and post red-dawn films that will never happen.

I don't know if you saw my other posts but all I have said is (spread over the two treads on this subject);

1. That it is prudent to keep a few bit's and bobs handy to make life comfortable if you have to leave your house for a few days.

2. That we, here, in our situation keep the basics in stock. In case of times of shortage, which for us can be that there is no work and/or no money coming in.

3. That if you do keep an end of the world store, which we do not and I have not advocated, that if it isn't hidden you will almost certainly loose it as soon as the disaster you have been preparing for strikes.

When I say "who knows what" I mean that everyone is in their own set of circumstances with their own problems to solve. Not that you should attempt to prepare for every possibility, which is of course impossible.

 

[British Red]

Well some people just have a lot to say on any topic so long as might stir things up.

Indeed - there's a word for that I believe

 

[SimonM]

I’m not prepared for “who knows what”. I’m prepared for power cuts, floods, loss of the gas main, I’m prepared for fuel strikes that last a few weeks, and industrial action on the part of transport. I’m not stockpiling for the end of the world or even anarchic, lawlessness and the breakdown of civilisation.
In other word, I’m sort of ready for stuff that may happen, and not bothered about preparing for stuff from the “penny dreadful’s” and zombie and post red-dawn films that will never happen.

Ditto what Tadpole said.

Simon

 

[sapper1]

Anybody able to answer this,sensibly ,honestly and accurately?
When your supplies run out (and they will eventually) what will we eat then,where will we get our food from ?
I ask because this thread gives the impression that our supplies will last forever,I konw they won't.How many people will be able to feed their family off the land ,I know I won't,So where is all our food comig from?

 

[ZDP-189]

"In case of emergency, follow all instructions we deign to give."

 

[Wayland]

Anybody able to answer this,sensibly ,honestly and accurately?
When your supplies run out (and they will eventually) what will we eat then,where will we get our food from ?
I ask because this thread gives the impression that our supplies will last forever,I konw they won't.How many people will be able to feed their family off the land ,I know I won't,So where is all our food comig from?

Simple, Eat the rich.......

Oh sorry, I dont think that was sensible ,honest or accurate.

 

[Bernie Garland]

Anybody able to answer this,sensibly ,honestly and accurately?
When your supplies run out (and they will eventually) what will we eat then,where will we get our food from ?
I ask because this thread gives the impression that our supplies will last forever,I konw they won't.How many people will be able to feed their family off the land ,I know I won't,So where is all our food comig from?

I'm one of the fortunate one's, as a ten minute walk or less and there's all the game you could wish for,as for veg my allotments still full of winter sfuff brussel's,cabbage,parsnips ect.and if it got that bad a situation and it meant life or death. i'm afraid a pig,cow,or sheep might have to go missing,so having the skills to humanely dispatch and butcher are very handy to learn

Bernie

 

[spiritofold]

Anybody able to answer this,sensibly ,honestly and accurately?
When your supplies run out (and they will eventually) what will we eat then,where will we get our food from ?
I ask because this thread gives the impression that our supplies will last forever,I konw they won't.How many people will be able to feed their family off the land ,I know I won't,So where is all our food comig from?

I'll supplement our food supply from my allotments, right on my doorstep.

 

[Wayland]

What is interesting about this thread is how little faith any of us have that the "Government" is going to be the agency that will save us from whatever might happen.

 

[spiritofold]

And if anyone steals food from my plot i might just have to add them to the pot as well!

(I am joking!)

Or am i!

 

[Bernie Garland]

What is interesting about this thread is how little faith any of us have that the "Government" is going to be the agency that will save us from whatever might happen.

Coz they''ll be to busy looking after there selves

Bernie

 

[Bernie Garland]

And if anyone steals food from my plot i might just have to add them to the pot as well!

(I am joking!)

Or am i!

Don't know if it would make good manure or not

Bernie

 

[mortalmerlin]

Anybody able to answer this,sensibly ,honestly and accurately?
When your supplies run out (and they will eventually) what will we eat then,where will we get our food from ?
I ask because this thread gives the impression that our supplies will last forever,I konw they won't.How many people will be able to feed their family off the land ,I know I won't,So where is all our food comig from?

In your scenario which implies more than a long term food shortage but a total absence of food, a lot would have had to go wrong, probably over such a long time scale that sores would be irrelevant anyway.

In the early days of any such famine event martial law would have been imposed and food rationed, free resources would have been diverted to food production to try to cover the shortfall. This is what happened during the war and on the whole the UK was one of the most sucessful communist economies during this time. There was a lot of effort put into educating the public on how to be more efficient and how to provide for yourself as much as possible which I guess would be repeated.

To get to a point where all the social systems had failed and your still alive to forage for food I think is highly improbable anyway and if you did there would be nothing left as the other 60 million people would have been doing the same for the last few years.

 

[Dana Hawkeye]

I am actually a little disappointed at some people's attitude in this thread to others that have a 'reserve stock'. How quick people seem to forget the 1970's - the 3 day week, blackouts, strikes, the Winter of Discontent, etc. The UK is/about to enter a big financial recession with increases in unemployment, high energy prices and the dreaded negative equity scenario again. Stocking up in the good times or when their are 2 for 1 bargains etc is a sensible precaution and will actually save you money.

Now I am not saying that you should, could or would have a years supply of foodtuffs etc, but is'nt it prudent enough to have at least 1 months reserve stock or maybe even stretch that to 2 months? Try talking to members of your family that lived during and just after WW2 and you will find that most did and still do have a 'reserve stock' of some description.

People seem to forget also, that most supermarket chains only ever have about 3 days worth of food in their stores at any one time. It doesnt take a genius to work out how quick a store could run out should a 'panic buying spree' begin. To be honest, do you really trust HM Government to 'help you out'? I for one do not.

What has all this to do with Bushcraft? Well, nothing really, except that Bushcraft comes under the Survival heading and therefore Survivalist. Being a Survivalist is being prepared for ANY eventuality and that includes having a Reserve Stock.

 

[Tadpole]

I aagree with everything you've said apart from this

What has all this to do with Bushcraft? Well, nothing really, except that Bushcraft comes under the Survival heading and therefore Survivalist. Being a Survivalist is being prepared for ANY eventuality and that includes having a Reserve Stock.

To me, I'm not preparing to survive I'm learning to thrive in realistic situations. My food will if I am careful last me a couple of weeks, but were I to stretch it to what they had to ate in the war time, and add to it the stuff I see about me, I'd say I have enough to last until the goverment picked up the pace again. I've enough tins and dried goods to last, the diet may end up really boring, as it would be rice/pasta and tinned meat and a sause. There is little chance that anyone wil be left swinging in the wind for more than a couple of weeks.

 

[Wayland]

Snip>
What has all this to do with Bushcraft? Well, nothing really, except that Bushcraft comes under the Survival heading and therefore Survivalist. Being a Survivalist is being prepared for ANY eventuality and that includes having a Reserve Stock.

Oh no....Somebodies opened a big can of worms.

Most people here hate to think that there is any connection between the two.

 

[Bernie Garland]

Oh no....Somebodies opened a big can of worms.

Most people here hate to think that there is any connection between the two.

:tapedshut

Bernie

 

[mortalmerlin]

Hmmm, I think Bushcraft and survival mean different things to different people depending on their situations and the distinctions are at best a bit fuzzy.

Why not just live and let live rather than try to impose limits on which is which.

 

[Dana Hawkeye]

Well, I am sorry folks if I have opened a big can of worms, but the fact is ... That Survival and Bushcraft are connected just as Retreatism, Survivalism, Off-Gridding, Eco-living, Self-Sufficiency, Homesteading and not forgeting TEOTWAWKI. They are all of the same genre. You cannot be one without encompassing something from the others.

If Survival and Survivalism sounds too 'Gung-Ho' for some people then take on board the bits you want, leave the rest but please do not trash or troll other peoples' perspectives of what they see as their personal Situation X scenario or why they do what they do - The subject matter is too large and too interlinked to be compartmented into small sub-disciplines.

Boy, has UK survivalism changed since the 1980's and I fear not for the better.

Dana

 

[mortalmerlin]

Survival and Bushcraft are connected just as Retreatism, Survivalism, Off-Gridding, Eco-living, Self-Sufficiency, Homesteading and not forgeting TEOTWAWKI. They are all of the same genre. You cannot be one without encompassing something from the others.

I agree with you, this is after all the bushcraft AND SURVIVAL SKILLS forum