War Anxiety Fuels £400 Weekly Prepping Spree Amid Iran Conflict
War drives people to extreme measures – and I am now spending £400 each week on emergency preparations. With the Iran conflict now in its second month, and facing the looming threat of food and petrol rationing alongside potential blackouts, I have begun stockpiling supplies. The troubling reality is that I cannot seem to stop, admits Charlotte Cripps.
The Psychology of Panic Buying and Prepping
Long before US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that Tehran could target London with missiles, I was already anxious about the Iran war. My primary concerns centred on the prospect of food and petrol rationing, as well as widespread blackouts. As the conflict, which Donald Trump predicted would end swiftly, drags into its second month, I occupy myself by accumulating basic necessities.
I have been indiscriminately tossing random cans of tinned food into my supermarket trolley. My larder now contains over 70 tins of baked beans, lentils, black beans, sweetcorn, sardines, tomato soup, and spaghetti hoops. Every outing results in purchasing a few more items. I have acquired a battery-operated radio and bought tea light candles in bulk. I am now in contact with fellow preppers and a specialist shop that sells everything required for a blackout.
If the Iran war does not conclude soon – and that outcome appears increasingly unlikely – is this not a rational response? Or am I taking things too far?
Investing in Survival Technology and Resources
War compels people to undertake extraordinary actions. I recently purchased a portable solar-powered charging bank with an integrated torch and compass for £26. This device can charge multiple gadgets simultaneously at full speed using sunlight, including my phone and laptop. By leaving it on my windowsill, it remains prepared for any emergency.
I also acquired a stylish Danish solar-powered outdoor table lamp in olive for £44.95, which charges via sunlight during daylight hours. I am even stockpiling logs of wood to heat my two-bedroom flat, in case I need to break through the MDF wall behind my children's bunk beds to expose a hidden fireplace that was sealed to modernise and enlarge the room.
Seasoned wood with a moisture content below 20 per cent is essential; it should produce a hollow sound when knocked together. I must store it in a dry location – currently, that is the boot of my car, as I have not found alternative space.
A Mother's Instinctual Drive to Protect Her Family
All this may sound extreme, but it represents an instinctual reaction to the global devastation I am observing. I have two children, Lola, aged 10, and Liberty, seven, and I would never forgive myself if I failed to implement emergency measures and a blackout occurred.
A portable kerosene heater is not a bad idea either. I nearly bought a 50-litre cooler box yesterday that maintains contents cold for up to 12 days without electricity, but the £302 price deterred me.
I am now fixated on a prepping website and plan to purchase a large solar panel and power bank to genuinely live off-grid during a national crisis. However, what will my neighbours think? I am already storing some tinned food beneath the garden table because my cupboards lack sufficient capacity.
I attempted to buy the Highlander Universal Survival Emergency Power Hub, a £26.99 device combining a power bank, torch, radio, and SOS alarm with a built-in solar panel, hand-crank dynamo, or fast USB-C recharge unit, but it was sold out.
The Growing Prepper Community and Rational Fears
I believe many people share my perspective. While a few weeks ago, before the US and Israel first attacked Iran on 28 February, prepping might have seemed excessive, circumstances have deteriorated dramatically. Part of me sincerely considers prepping the only sensible course of action.
I have already hidden cash because, during a power shortage, there will be no alternative payment method. A prepper father friend, who has established an off-grid lifestyle at his country house in Wales, offered useful advice: always maintain a full petrol tank in your car. Presumably, he will not be surprised if I arrive with the children when our food supplies deplete.
I have also been panic-buying extra batteries, torches, and a couple of LED stakes. I possess a stockpile of antibiotics that the children never consumed and a new first-aid kit, but my primary goal is to accumulate a three-month food supply.
The Limits of Preparedness and Market Offerings
Naturally, there are numerous items I have not purchased – beyond portable power generators in various sizes, there are freeze-dried meals like chilli con carne, gas masks, and former military full-body NBC suits for nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare.
A best-selling product is a ration pack supply box lasting one month, which includes 60 British military food pouches, with a vegan option priced at £199.
I am not a Mad Max enthusiast or even a pessimist, but the situation appears bleak, let us be honest – and I must prepare for the worst if the lights extinguish.
Expert Warnings and the UK's Energy Vulnerability
Experts caution that the UK could confront a significant oil and gas supply shortfall within months if the Middle East conflict persists.
Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's daily liquefied natural gas and oil supplies transit. This, combined with attacks on oil and gas refineries across the Middle East by both warring sides, is causing catastrophic impacts on global energy supplies and prices.
We require gas to heat the 20 million UK homes utilising natural gas central heating systems. It also serves as a major electricity generation source. Claims emerged that the UK possessed only two days of stored gas if supplies depleted. Fortunately, this was merely dangerous scaremongering, as the government reassured the public. Yet the scenario remains unpredictable.
While the UK obtains most of its gas from domestic North Sea production and Norwegian imports, and the majority of imported oil arrives from the US and Norway, the global energy crisis is a dynamic situation – and every development triggers knock-on effects.
The Cost and Continuation of Prepping Efforts
That is why I have expended approximately £400 on prepping within a single week thus far. This marks only the commencement of my prepping journey. The Iran war serves as a wake-up call. While bombing continues and oil prices surge, I am heading out to buy an LED hurricane lantern. Even if a blackout never materialises, at least Lola can utilise all the equipment on her school camping trip.
