French government expected to issue all citizens with survival manual

[TeeDee]

That was very much the point I was making. People really don't want to contemplate even short term outages as they prefer life comfortable

I don't feel I'm missing the point , I do understand what you are saying ( I feel ) .

Most people do want and see the mod con life to continue as conventional and anticipated because mostly - it is. I certainly do. I don't crave an incident to occur.

Its only the occasional shorter term 'blip' that forces most of us to reappraise that and consider some insurance action.

For some that blip , does trigger something to think longer term and establish some basic redundancy in the household. Lets be honest Covid was probably the biggest life changing event we have had in recent history and its impact was massive - some would have reacted to that ( in terms of provisions ) but most would/have/will not.

Ultimately I believe we all prefer a life that is more comfortable than less comfortable - depending on what ones notion of comfort is.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I don't live in a VERY rural location ( I can think of far more remote areas on Moorland etc ) but have experienced many blackouts on the last 12 months.

SWMBO and I were at another couple's house with another friend the weekend before last for supper. Part way through there was a power cut.

I had a little torch in my pocket: shone up at the ceiling it lit up the room enough for the hostess to go and get four candles (oh yes) and a box of matches.

No drama, no panic. SWMBO and I are in our early fifties, host and hostess in their seventies, other friend is in her sixties... We've all lived through frequent power cuts.

Our children are in their early twenties and have lived through power cuts that lasted for two weeks at a time in the winter with temperatures of around zero in the day and -5°C overnight...

I think that we all prefer to have an easy time, but when things get tough, even those that we think are snowflakes could surprise us with their resilience.

 

[TeeDee]

SWMBO and I were at another couple's house with another friend the weekend before last for supper. Part way through there was a power cut.

I had a little torch in my pocket: shone up at the ceiling it lit up the room enough for the hostess to go and get four candles (oh yes) and a box of matches.

No drama, no panic. SWMBO and I are in our early fifties, host and hostess in their seventies, other friend is in her sixties... We've all lived through frequent power cuts.

Our children are in their early twenties and have lived through power cuts that lasted for two weeks at a time in the winter with temperatures of around zero in the day and -5°C overnight...

I think that we all prefer to have an easy time, but when things get tough, even those that we think are snowflakes could surprise us with their resilience.

People are resilient. Don't think thats in question. Only thing that kills people is death - < sorry- DEATH > and fortunately it can only do it the once. - But there are many many many levels between how one can experience that - I guess its all about what levels of comfort people wish to experience or endure- if one is content and survives for a month eating small things like Renfield I guess thats all good.

 

[Broch]

Only thing that kills people is death - < sorry- DEATH > and fortunately it can only do it the once.

You 100% sure about that?

 

[ONE]

They're knocking out the same sort of booklet as the UK did in '04 after the Civil Contingencies Act.
For any & all occurrences -

Gardez 3 jours de nourriture et d'eau dans votre cuisine.

Ayez à disposition une lampe de poche, une radio et des piles de rechange.

Restez chez vous et attendez les instructions.

 

[TeeDee]

They're knocking out the same sort of booklet as the UK did in '04 after the Civil Contingencies Act.
For any & all occurrences -

Gardez 3 jours de nourriture et d'eau dans votre cuisine.

Ayez à disposition une lampe de poche, une radio et des piles de rechange.

Restez chez vous et attendez les instructions.

Keep 3 days of food and water in your kitchen.

Have a flashlight, radio and spare batteries available.

Stay at home and wait for instructions.

 

[NotSafeForWork]

Let's hope that the UK one is better than "protect and survive" Video

 

[TeeDee]

Keep 3 days of food and water in your kitchen.

Have a flashlight, radio and spare batteries available.

Stay at home and wait for instructions.

To be honest - I imagine most bushcrafters , without any possible interest in prepping type domestic resilience will be well covered for this very very basic list of tick box items?

However we live in an age of charity type food at the edge of supermarkets ( not knocking it ) , community food banks and the newest common place term of ' cost of living crisis ' combined with a skewed housing market where having home security is a massive concern and cost.

I wonder how many people whom would be the greater percentage of gen population would have additional food and means to heat/cook it exist that the governments are trying to aim this sort of guidance at.

 

[slowworm]

There plenty of people who can afford to be prepared though, just look at all the people who pay for all the junk food deliveries etc.

That would take the pressure off the the authorities so they could look after those that need it.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Keep 3 days of food and water in your kitchen.

I wonder how many people live hand to mouth, in that they keep no food whatsoever...

I can imagine a fair few people live like that here in the town where I live and in Paris where I work.

I don't mean people bothering on destitution, either, but people who wake up in a morning, dash out to work and buy coffee and a pastry on the way, eat a takeaway or sandwich (or maybe go to a restaurant) at midday, then get pizza, sushi or similar delivered in the evening. I have a young colleague who rarely cooks; he lives in a little studio flat with no separation between the kitchen and the rest... If he cooks, all his clothes and up smelling of his food.

I think that there is easily enough for the two of us to eat for three days in the kitchen, and then for three weeks in the cellar, but probably not enough water for three weeks. And certainly even though we have enough flour and dried yeast, we won't have enough water to make bread for three weeks.

 

[Woody girl]

My stepdaughter just laughs if I try to talk to her about anything to do with being prepared in any way. She just says, " we will come to you as you know what to do."
I tell her if she can't be bothered to look out for herself and her family, don't bother, she thinks I'm joking.
I can tell you, if her bullying partner, two demanding, sullen, city living teens, and two large dogs and a cat turn up here, she will have a bit of a shock.!
(I'll take the dogs mind)

 

[daveO]

(I'll take the dogs mind)

You could probably get a couple of meals out of the cat too.

 

[Tengu]

Water? Thats the stuff that comes out of the sky.

Or in the stream at the end of the street.

 

[Woody girl]

You could probably get a couple of meals out of the cat too.

We have enough running around here to keep me going for months! Everyone round here has at least one cat. I'm devising a trap to capture them if hard times come, as they seem to think my veg beds are litter trays...little b*****s!
My diet could get a bit boring!
The dogs look mean, but are very stupid. Last time they visited, the boy peed in a nettle patch, and stung his private parts. You'd never seen such a red swollen pair in your life! Watching him waddle with his hind legs apart as he tried to walk was a hoot. I was in bits!
(City dog, that had never seen a nettle in his life)
Poor chap. I did feel for him, but it was very funny.

 

[Tengu]

Youve made my day.

(Next time show him an electric fence).

 

[TeeDee]

There plenty of people who can afford to be prepared though, just look at all the people who pay for all the junk food deliveries etc.

That would take the pressure off the the authorities so they could look after those that need it.

Agreed - valid point.

Not sure if there is a correlation of charity however.

 

[Woody girl]

There plenty of people who can afford to be prepared though, just look at all the people who pay for all the junk food deliveries etc.

That would take the pressure off the the authorities so they could look after those that need it.

Absolutely! People are too soft and lazy.
Good Times make weak men, and weak men make hard times...or something like that.
It's a quote I keep hearing of late.
The reliance on hitting a few buttons to get your food delivered or pay your bills will do for most eventualy. People are becoming more aware, but most either have their head in the sand or totaly indifferent to anything comming down the line.
Our farming sector is in crisis, and most don't have a clue about the state of things. Anti Alan snackbar rebellions in Iran and Turkey in the last day or so. I feel that it might be on the cards here too, without getting too political, but a certain person is attacking every bastion of britishness, and even talking about making room for the rioters in the summer. So I feel something is brewing.
Watch your six, and be prepared. Don't panic Captain Mannering.

 

[MrEd]

In my house we keep a modest amount of cash as an emergency reserve, have atleast 2 weeks of food at any given time (fresh, frozen and tinned). I also have around 500litres of water butt water, and a wood burner and about 4months of wood, got a small petrol generator, a Land Rover that runs on 50/50 diesel/veg oil if I want. I know how to sterilise water and cook on an open flame. I also live about 3 miles from a large river. We would have to cut out showers etc and conserve water for basic hygiene and drinking. I reckon a couple of weeks would be fine. It would suck walking to the river and back to fetch water though if it came to that….. if the landrover worked I would use that. If not then fingers crossed for rain!

My biggest concern is my medications - not so much storing them etc but re-supply - my life critical injections I keep about 3 months supply on hand and I know if desperate I could probably stretch that to 3.5months, maybe a bit more. After that it would be a _real_ problem.
I have plenty of reference books so not reliant on internet to find stuff out.

I think I would be okay for a bit.

 

[TeeDee]

In my house we keep a modest amount of cash as an emergency reserve, have atleast 2 weeks of food at any given time (fresh, frozen and tinned). I also have around 500litres of water butt water, and a wood burner and about 4months of wood, got a small petrol generator, a Land Rover that runs on 50/50 diesel/veg oil if I want. I know how to sterilise water and cook on an open flame. I also live about 3 miles from a large river. We would have to cut out showers etc and conserve water for basic hygiene and drinking. I reckon a couple of weeks would be fine. It would suck walking to the river and back to fetch water though if it came to that….. if the landrover worked I would use that. If not then fingers crossed for rain!

My biggest concern is my medications - not so much storing them etc but re-supply - my life critical injections I keep about 3 months supply on hand and I know if desperate I could probably stretch that to 3.5months, maybe a bit more. After that it would be a _real_ problem.
I have plenty of reference books so not reliant on internet to find stuff out.

I think I would be okay for a bit.

No doubt agreed - but you do sound like one of the chorus choir converted. ( No disrespect intended )
You don't need to be advised because you are probably already in the 99th percentile.

But what about your closest neighbour? or sister/brother that isn't? We all have to make our own decisions but I see the recent flurry of government type leaflets not being aimed at those already doing - but those that have done nothing and see no need too.

And thats probably a tricky sale.
I would have thought the uptick and interest in domestic resilience would have gone up for many post covid but maybe it just didn't 'stick'.

Medications is a good point but 3 months IS a long old time for the logistical chain to not repair and renew itself unless one envisages the most high impact events. IMO.

 

[TeeDee]

I wonder how many people live hand to mouth, in that they keep no food whatsoever...

I can imagine a fair few people live like that here in the town where I live and in Paris where I work.

I don't mean people bothering on destitution, either, but people who wake up in a morning, dash out to work and buy coffee and a pastry on the way, eat a takeaway or sandwich (or maybe go to a restaurant) at midday, then get pizza, sushi or similar delivered in the evening. I have a young colleague who rarely cooks; he lives in a little studio flat with no separation between the kitchen and the rest... If he cooks, all his clothes and up smelling of his food.

I think that there is easily enough for the two of us to eat for three days in the kitchen, and then for three weeks in the cellar, but probably not enough water for three weeks. And certainly even though we have enough flour and dried yeast, we won't have enough water to make bread for three weeks.

I can imagine that in regard to hard city living - studio bound and food shops vying for business offering almost no 'need' to cook at home. Weird lifestyle I'm not sure I could get used to personally but I guess normal is what you grow up with.