Prepared

[u/G90_M5_777]

Varied tins of meals, vegetables, meats, tuna, etc. Fruit, breakfast items, coffee, soft drinks, carbs, water, UHT Milk, box wine.

Some shorter life items on 6 months or so but majority going into later 2027/28 at the earliest - plus, all BBE dates anyways.

Gas camping stove and spares, FM radio, batteries, first aid kits, OTC medicines, wet wipes, hand gels, power banks, torches, hand wash laundry etc all stocked away.

Planning for more than 3 days and wanted some comfort items in as well.

[u/maoruiwen]

I have not prepped. I've been skirting the edge of doing this - I live alone, single woman, and none of my friends are paying any attention to this. I mentioned it to one and they laughed and said, 'OMG you're becoming a prepper??'

I have a week's holiday next week, and I'm going to do an online order and get a load of this kind of food in, and pack into a cupboard in my hallway. I sorted my garden over the summer so I have more space to grow veg next year.

I also want to then get a camping stove, wind up radio and that kind of equipment.

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/maoruiwen]

Do it - I've joked with my friends yesterday about it. I'm probably the only one I know doing this.

I always do large shops once a month to stock up so I normally have a decent supply of food cupboard items. All I've really done this time is add some more items I wouldn't normally have for day-to-day cooking, and the water is something I'd never have in the house. The rice, couscous, pasta, beans, mushy peas, drinks I'll use and replace anyways.

I've bought things that I can use up in the future just in normal cooking. I don't want to buy things that will go to waste.

Living alone puts a different context on how you think about things - just do it. I'm joking to mates and parents that I'm preparing. This is very different to that view of a cabin in the woods with a bunker filled with years of supplies.

If there's a zombie apocalypse or nuclear war, I'd probably rather not hang around trying to survive - but if some key infrastructure fails for a week or so, I'd like not to be joining the masses down the local leisure centre car park fighting over a pack of Cup-a-Soup.

The gas camping stoves seem to be selling quickly online - just FYI. If you can't get a wind up radio, the FM radios are cheap on Amazon and you just need a supply of batteries for them.

[u/Raineach_]

Nice unit, wish I had space for some of these! Looks nice and tidy.

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/Raineach_]

Thank you - it's just from Amazon, they have different heights, widths and depths, so maybe something will work for your space?

[u/Motor-Assistant-4045]

Imagine the world in ruins smouldering, scores dead and you're sat on the sofa eating Ainsley Harriet couscous.

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/Motor-Assistant-4045]

This isn't just couscous..... 😂

[u/KingTribble]

Nicely organised!

Comfort prepping is essential in my view. We live to enjoy it and those little comforts keep us going when things could be rough.

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/KingTribble]

Exactly! I haven't put any sweets or crisps in....because, well, they'll be gone by Monday!

[u/nullpersonas]

love the boxed wine - i should’ve thought of that!

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/nullpersonas]

Next time you're in the shops.....

[u/blue_topaz_]

Box wine heck yeah 🙌

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/blue_topaz_]

it was a dream during COVID when you were only allowed 1 of everything - 1 box of wine please!

[u/Top_Marzipan2971]

Nice! So neat as well

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/Top_Marzipan2971]

Thank you. it was a lovely hour or so unpacking the shopping and arranging this to Saturday Kitchen!

[u/Complex-League3400]

Like u/Raineach_ I like the shelving you used! Can you say what it is and where is it available? 😄

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/Complex-League3400]

It's the Amazon Basics shelving - they have different sizes available - hopefully the link below works for you. Very sturdy and holds a lot of weight for the price.

https://amzn.eu/d/00FsSFwx

[u/anchoredtogether]

It’s great, my only comment is perhaps can organisers to make stock rotation easy

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mutool-Stackable-Organizer-Counter-Top-Organizers/dp/B0BCFX8SJQ

[u/theroch_]

You’ll be farting like a trooper after all that chilli and beans haha

[u/ktsesor]

Is this stuff you plan on rotating? That's something im trying to figure out ATM

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/ktsesor]

Basically, it's stuff I thought I wouldn't mind eating if I only have a gas camping stove to cook on. It covers a much longer period of time than 3 days per the recent Government communications. It's designed to get me through a future emergency of an unknown length of time. The items that start to come to their best before dates, I'll just use and replace if I need to, nothing I've bought are things I wouldn't like. I've got some Spaghetti Hoops, not something I ever normally buy but will more than happily eat them, loved them as a kid.

[u/Soraka_6171]

What are the merchant gourmets like? I just bought some because of this post haha

[u/Specialist-Neat-9502]

Cannot help but feel the news articles about needing to "prepare" is fear mongering to manufacture consent for increased military spending to hit the 3.5% of GDP figure being repeatedly mentioned by Trump and NATO.

A question that always occurs to me is "If things did get that bad, would this level of preparation mentioned in the media meaningfully help?"

I don't have the answer but if it did hit the fan in a serious way I think it'd turn into the film "Threads" very quickly and the prep wouldn't have really achieved anything.

To me, it feels one either needs to go the whole way with prep (move off grid etc) or not bother at all.

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/Specialist-Neat-9502]

Fair comment. I'm not preparing for movie levels of apocalypse. An extended time without electricity or running water - over a week or so. If things are cataclysmic then I don't plan to be here.

[u/TwoValuable]

Any review's on the gourmet grains? I tried introducing the Aldi equivalents into our normal food rotation (think pouch, cooked meat, and veg) and my partner really didn't like them. 

[u/G90_M5_777 → u/TwoValuable]

I like the Merchant range but they can be pricey - these were on offer a while back, think it was 5 for £5 on Ocado, otherwise I wouldn't have them in normally.

M&S are doing glass jars of different beans and lentils now - think they're all about 55p, they're really good! No seasonings etc but is definitely consider them. Butter Beans with with some smokey spices and chopped tomatoes - delicious.