I've been planning on putting together a proper 'escape from the city bag' for ages now, but just never quite got around to it, and it turns out I now may be well behind the curve....
The EU recently urged its 450 million citizens to be equipped for anything, from a flood to a pandemic to an invasion: every household is instructed to stockpile enough food, medicine and supplies to get through the first 72 hours of a disaster. “Europe cannot afford to remain reactive,” the strategy states.
While Brussels' warning is inspired primarily by the Russian threat, the more recent electricity outages in Spain and Heathrow airport going down, and cyber attacks against M and S taking their systems down remind us how vulnerable we are to a system-down scenario.
And not forgetting the increasing chances of being negatively impacted by natural disasters, especially floods here in the UK.
So it's maybe no surprise that in recent years, the UK has also seen a surge in interest in “doomsday prepping”. A 2023 survey by YouGov found that 32% of Britons had taken some form of action to prepare for a major crisis—ranging from stockpiling food to securing emergency power sources.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a major turning point, exposing vulnerabilities in global supply chains and prompting many households to rethink their readiness. During the first lockdown, supermarket shelves were emptied within days, and sales of long-life foods and camping supplies soared. According to the British Retail Consortium, sales of dried foods rose by 73% in March 2020 compared to the same month the previous year.
Climate change is also driving concern. The UK experienced its hottest year on record in 2022, and the Met Office predicts more frequent extreme weather events, including floods and droughts. The Environment Agency estimates that 5.7 million properties in England are at risk of flooding, yet only one-third of those at risk have signed up for flood warnings.
Meanwhile, the UK government’s “Prepare” campaign, launched in 2024, urges citizens to have an emergency kit ready. Recommended items include a torch, wind-up radio, bottled water, medications, and copies of essential documents. The campaign stresses the importance of being able to cope for 72 hours without power or external support—mirroring EU guidelines.
Hmmm, I'd better get shopping...!
