UK 4 meals away from anarchy in a disaster?

[Pete Grey]

We keep our stores well hidden, nothing obvious on show, if we are bugging in and things were getting bad i would have cauched some dried foodstuffs locally (i always have a couple of tubs ready). Other stuff is hidden behind a false wall in the garage.

So if anyone comes, “you can see we’ve only got bits and pieces, we were going ask you if you can help us”.

[Pete Grey]

(4 April 2018, 17:58)Pete Grey Wrote: We keep our stores well hidden, nothing obvious on show, if we are bugging in and things were getting bad i would have cauched some dried foodstuffs locally (i always have a couple of tubs ready). Other stuff is hidden behind a false wall in the garage.

So if anyone comes, “you can see we’ve only got bits and pieces, we were going ask you if you can help us”.

CACHED not cauched.

[Mortblanc]

We play this "who should I help/what do I have/where should I hide it" game about once each year. It is usually triggered by some report that there is only enough on the shelves to last 3 days, just as it has been since Shakespeare was a lad.

It is always a hoot to read the replies. Some think they are living in a vacuum in the middle of suburbia, some feel they can turn away a mob with "I don't have anything" and others want to feed the world.

No, I do not have the "proper answer", no one has the proper answer because the prospect is one of dealing with the impossible.

No, "I will deal with me and my own" is not the correct answer because no one can gather unlimited supplies and eventually you will run out too. Perhaps not on day three, like the idiot next door, but eventually.

And you can not think of or even obtain everything you need. Some of it is illegal, some is too expensive, some is too complicated and some is made from unobtanium.

It will not matter much. At the end of a month, about what one can go without food, the bad water/bad sanitation/no heat/reduced immunity levels/increased violence levels will have taken care of most of the problems in a post SHTF world.

But we can not even define the parameters of that term either. When does SHTF start? What does it look like? Does it start when the shelves are empty? Three days after the shelves empty? When the police all go home? When the radio announces that the bomb has been launched? When Russia starts the blockade? When the EU begins economic sanctions.

Or does it start when one gets the repair bill for the automobile and it is more than a months' wages? You have a year of food in mylar and plastic, but not two coins to rub together at the end of each week.

Personally, I have a use by date when TEOTWAWKI does arrive and can be properly identified. Life sustaining meds keep me alive. Nope, there are no herbs or potions that will replace them. I have a 6 month supply and then about 3 more months of progressive debility after they are gone.

I just hope the nice kids next door and the young man down the lane live longer than I do, bury me properly with a few kind words, and make good use of my gear.

[bigpaul]

I don't know about America but here in the UK(this is after all supposed to be a British forum with a "British bias")the supermarkets ONLY keep a 3 days supply, and that's NOW not after some disaster.
yes, our food stockpile's wont last for ever- THEY ARENT MEANT TO- its just to give us a breathing space, we might have to hunker down when all the masses go crazy.
either TSHTF will be short lived in which case it will be back to life as normal after a short time of inconvenience and make do, but personally I don't think it will.
if it dosent then SELF RELIANCE will be the order of the day, grow your own, rear your own, forage and fish.....welcome to the new normal which will be like nothing you have ever known before.
yes I know, this post will get the usual detractors who think "its not going to happen" but unless you've got a couple of crystal balls down your pants, how do you know? anything is possible and I think its already here, 50 murders in London this year alone and its only April....sounds like SHTF to me, London first then the rest of the country later.

[Straight Shooter]

And not forgetting London has more police than any other city ...and options to draft in any other police force to wipe its arse in times of trouble ( FACT ) ....and they have cut their police force ? you work it out .....can't get my head around it ...the capitol yes ......but of what ?.....a relocation tip......Dartmoor...great outlook...loads of room....lots of ponies ,rabbits ....sorry BP but Wales is now full...lol.

[bigpaul]

(5 April 2018, 16:54)Straight Shooter Wrote: And not forgetting London has more police than any other city ...and options to draft in any other police force to wipe its arse in times of trouble ( FACT ) ....and they have cut their police force ? you work it out .....can't get my head around it ...the capitol yes ......but of what ?.....a relocation tip......Dartmoor...great outlook...loads of room....lots of ponies ,rabbits ....sorry BP but Wales is now full...lol.

no worries my friend, plenty of places in North Devon to relocate to I don't need to cross the Severn!!
When they had the London "riots" the Met Police withdrew for their own safety, they only regained control after being reinforced by plod from the provinces-including Devon & Cornwall.

[Straight Shooter]

And South Wales police....amongst other welsh forces BP.

[Talon]

It’s an interesting conundrum . Personally I don’t know what I’d do . I’m reasonably well prepared with food and other necessities for 2 months ( water not included ) . Personally I’d like to help
Others and maybe barter for things I don’t have . The question for me would be trust . You just can’t take it for granted the people you’d deal with would have any morals . What’s the alternative though ? . To blast everyone you come across and take their stuff !! .
I have no answers . I’m a law abiding respectful person . I don’t harbour any illusions about myself . I’m not Rambo . I’m just a normal guy who
Likes to be as self sufficient as I
Can .
Fortunately I no longer think the swhtf in my lifetime . Economic hardship yes totally . A complete break down of society and a survival
Scenario.No . And I hope I’m never proven wrong.

[Easy rider]

I'm sure we the like minded have foods and resources to last the period we prep for .we here have some supplies for trading or as a sweetener in the event we may need to support other locals if the needs arise in the event extra hands are needid.
The rest is out of sight ,various location .

I have to wonder about the whole 4 meals thing as we preppers obviously have more than that and at the same time I believe their are some religious families groupes that also prep that may not frequent forums and go UN noticed .
We kind of guessed ,Mormon , Jewish community, Sikh and knowing in some areas people of same belief or nation have helped their communities from their own warehouses or stores.
They also work together to provide their area with security so I'm not sure how the 4meal story would work their.

Strange but I was discussing this days back with a friend , what religious folowers may prep, what Other group's or shall we term them as tribes are also prepping.
I use the term prepping but it may be some people's in different walks of life or ethnic backgrounds may purchase in bulk or just always have large supplies of dried foods.

These people may be able to out last alot of others for weeks or months even and will likely be better organised in resilience groupes than us preppers because of their local religious community cohesion

I have been looking for the best estimates for the uk as a guide that may likely happen giving days before shops are empty, to people committing house invasions for food ,becoming so weak they would struggle to maintain daily activities and even eventually die.
I'd be interested to hear any best estimates ?.

It would be quite a scarey thing not to have or be able to find water food even . Im not sure how long I could sit back and watch children go without ,that for me would be my weakness

[bigpaul]

shops in the UK carry 3 DAYS worth of food at any one time, its called the "just in time" food delivery system, in normal times that's enough, but in an emergency that will be gone in Hours not days, during the recent snow storms I heard of 2 guys(some said it was females) in Sainsbury's in Marsh Mills in Plymouth, fighting over the last packet of crumpets in the store, that might just give you an idea how unprepared most people are.