Smacks of the government trying to cause a panic to me, when was the last time anyone in London was advised to do this! I worry about the Indian chap who was arrested for supplying a sim card to his mate who turned out to be a bomber. He'll probably have the book thrown at him if Howard thinks it'll keep him in power. At least its not just US/UK who are doing stupid things like this BBC
Actually, it's not a bad idea. Natural disasters happen and one of the recurrent lessons of the past has been that you may very well be on your own for a while. The standard we always preach over here is 72 hours, but as Katrina showed, a week may not be a bad idea. What you need and for how long will be determined by where you live and what sort of disasters you're prone to. Foe example, in fire country you're more likley to be evacuated so you would pack a lighter, more portable kit. In a flood prone area, you would most likley be cut off from outside help and so you would pack supplies to stay at home without power, etc. Ignore the FUD and terrorism BS and look at what has happened in the past in your area.
Second the motion. Look at what could interrupt your normal schedule of life, and prepare for it. My family is hardly crazy about calamities and such, but we're ready for a week or more without power, which is by far the usual interrupt over here (too high for floods, far enough from the hillside to be safe from landslides).
"Officials have denied the campaign is a government attempt to create fear and enhance national security credentials ahead of elections due later this year." Hm... yeah. If that wasn't the case, I don't think they'd have bothered commenting on it. That said, Cthippo's right - it's a good thing to have around.
Which is when you throw a brick through the door of a local Wal-Mart and help yourself. Problem solved. For those non-looters though I'm sure this is a good idea. Wouldn't you be able to find most of that stuff just around your house in the event of a disaster though? Food, radio, maps, all things I already have and use and need, I can't really pack them away in a bag for a rainy day, and who's got cash for new ones? I'm sure some rich folks will benefit though.
Though it is common sense, people are naturally suspicious to hear this sort of stuff from the government. The majority of them are probably thinking Howard's having nightmares of a Japanese ghost army. H.B.
This is standard practice around the Gulf of Mexico from June 1, to November 30 (hurrican season for those unaware). General rule of thumb is to pack enough food, water, batteries and cash to last at least a week. -monkey
