How long can you sustain your family on your stored food? And tips how to rotate

[Peter]

[quote=Omega post_id=233602 time=<a href="tel:1697759423">1697759423</a> user_id=8706]
Yes, Covid caused a bit of problems and we did not have some products for some time. However, it was not a survival situation

Waddya mean. Disruption of Deliveroo and Just Eat caused millions of deaths.

Covid lockdowns were a great dress rehearsal for we preppers. I wonder how many of our unprepared compatriots learned nothing and went straight back to the empty pantry when covid was over.
[/quote]

Their pantries may be empty but I bet they still have

[jennyjj01]

Their pantries may be empty but I bet they still have

I can't criticise: The loft area above the bathroom has a 3 foot layer of Cushelle loft insulation. If mice ever find a way to it, I'll be able to open my own petting zoo.
I think it's likely that all those who were in the panic buying queues, went back to their old ways of never-prep as soon as shortages were over. That was when we preppers swooped in and continue to be prepared.

[grenfell]

This brings me to a conclusion that we probably don't need much food to store - in case of a disaster we will be evacuated, in case of WW3 - well, I will try to move out from radioactive land to places that are less contaminated, but there is still a chance I have to stay put before the opportunity turns up. In case of blockade - well, I think this will be very gradual, so enough time to decide to stay or leave
Yes, Covid caused a bit of problems and we did not have some products for some time. However, it was not a survival situation

That's the conclusion I've come to. Other than as a hedge against inflation where buying something cheap and in bulk saves money I now tend to view having months and months of stocks as akin to stocks and shares. By that I mean the saying only invest what you can afford to lose applies to the idea of long term storage for SHTF type events , only store with an eye on knowing that those stocks might end up being lost by as you point out evacuation or contamination. I tend to think the idea of sitting at home eating one's way through six months worth of food while the world outside goes to hell in a handcart is pure fantasy.
Saying that I would like to say I'm not against the idea of storage and have something like three months worth myself , I just don't see it as some sort of magic pill that guarantees survival...

[Frnc]

This brings me to a conclusion that we probably don't need much food to store - in case of a disaster we will be evacuated, in case of WW3 - well, I will try to move out from radioactive land to places that are less contaminated, but there is still a chance I have to stay put before the opportunity turns up. In case of blockade - well, I think this will be very gradual, so enough time to decide to stay or leave
Yes, Covid caused a bit of problems and we did not have some products for some time. However, it was not a survival situation

That's the conclusion I've come to. Other than as a hedge against inflation where buying something cheap and in bulk saves money I now tend to view having months and months of stocks as akin to stocks and shares. By that I mean the saying only invest what you can afford to lose applies to the idea of long term storage for SHTF type events , only store with an eye on knowing that those stocks might end up being lost by as you point out evacuation or contamination. I tend to think the idea of sitting at home eating one's way through six months worth of food while the world outside goes to hell in a handcart is pure fantasy.
Saying that I would like to say I'm not against the idea of storage and have something like three months worth myself , I just don't see it as some sort of magic pill that guarantees survival...

I agree. Same with water. It makes no difference whether you have enough for 2 months or a year. If there is no food or water available for two months, chances are there might never be. Presumably there will be no electricity, no petrol, roads blocked, you can't get to your savings or pension, even if you have cash there's nothing to buy. Vast numbers of people will already have died. Who will bury them all? Probably the sewers will get blocked eventually.

[Frnc]

This brings me to a conclusion that we probably don't need much food to store - in case of a disaster we will be evacuated, in case of WW3 - well, I will try to move out from radioactive land to places that are less contaminated, but there is still a chance I have to stay put before the opportunity turns up. In case of blockade - well, I think this will be very gradual, so enough time to decide to stay or leave
Yes, Covid caused a bit of problems and we did not have some products for some time. However, it was not a survival situation

That's the conclusion I've come to. Other than as a hedge against inflation where buying something cheap and in bulk saves money I now tend to view having months and months of stocks as akin to stocks and shares. By that I mean the saying only invest what you can afford to lose applies to the idea of long term storage for SHTF type events , only store with an eye on knowing that those stocks might end up being lost by as you point out evacuation or contamination. I tend to think the idea of sitting at home eating one's way through six months worth of food while the world outside goes to hell in a handcart is pure fantasy.
Saying that I would like to say I'm not against the idea of storage and have something like three months worth myself , I just don't see it as some sort of magic pill that guarantees survival...

I agree. Same with water. As far as I can see, it makes no difference whether you have enough for 2 months or a year. If there is no food or water available for two months, chances are there might never be. Presumably there will be no electricity, no petrol, roads blocked, you can't get to your savings or pension, even if you have cash there's nothing to buy. Vast numbers of people will already have died. Who will bury them all? Probably the sewers will get blocked eventually.

[jennyjj01]

I agree. Same with water. It makes no difference whether you have enough for 2 months or a year. If there is no food or water available for two months, chances are there might never be. Presumably there will be no electricity, no petrol, roads blocked, you can't get to your savings or pension, even if you have cash there's nothing to buy. Vast numbers of people will already have died. Who will bury them all? Probably the sewers will get blocked eventually.

Cheer me up why don't ya

You guys make a good point, though. Our preps are for smoothing out bumps in the road, not for careening over a cliff. In true apocalyptic scenarios, we are bu66ered and it's only the survivalist types , and the lucky ones at that, who will survive.
Prepping's just an extension of good housekeeping.

'Bury them'? What, and waste good protein But seriously, in a catastrophic event, as we see in Gaza, Ukraine, etc. sewage, money, pension, markets may become meaningless and I'll say the unthinkable...... Urban Prepping won't cut it!

[Frnc]

I agree. Same with water. It makes no difference whether you have enough for 2 months or a year. If there is no food or water available for two months, chances are there might never be. Presumably there will be no electricity, no petrol, roads blocked, you can't get to your savings or pension, even if you have cash there's nothing to buy. Vast numbers of people will already have died. Who will bury them all? Probably the sewers will get blocked eventually.

Cheer me up why don't ya

You guys make a good point, though. Our preps are for smoothing out bumps in the road, not for careening over a cliff. In true apocalyptic scenarios, we are bu66ered and it's only the survivalist types , and the lucky ones at that, who will survive.
Prepping's just an extension of good housekeeping.

'Bury them'? What, and waste good protein But seriously, in a catastrophic event, as we see in Gaza, Ukraine, etc. sewage, money, pension, markets may become meaningless and I'll say the unthinkable...... Urban Prepping won't cut it!

In Gaza there are a million displaced in a small piece of land. The water is cut off. I dread to think what the toilet and hygeine situation is like. There have been news reports.

[grenfell]

Cheer me up why don't ya

It's only being so happy and positive that keeps us going....

[Omega]

But seriously, in a catastrophic event, as we see in Gaza, Ukraine, etc. sewage, money, pension, markets may become meaningless and I'll say the unthinkable...... Urban Prepping won't cut it!

Such problems are best solved by evacuating when you can, not by storage. In fact, the storage has likely to tempt some people to wait and see, so sometimes storage turns into hoarding and works against you

[jennyjj01]

But seriously, in a catastrophic event, as we see in Gaza, Ukraine, etc. sewage, money, pension, markets may become meaningless and I'll say the unthinkable...... Urban Prepping won't cut it!

Such problems are best solved by evacuating when you can, not by storage. In fact, the storage has likely to tempt some people to wait and see, so sometimes storage turns into hoarding and works against you

Hey Omega, you accidentally misattributed my quote. No worries though.
You may be right.
Who can say what would be best, because we cannot know how such situations could develop.
If a nuke landed on Manchester, Birmingham or both, I'm slap in the middle. I'd expect things would be bad enough to expect some of the catastrophes above, but where could I evacuate to? I'd just as likely be running into more danger (not unlike Gazans fleeing south.) a nuke landing any closer, I'd probably be dead anyway and glad of it.