Prepping – preparing your household to be self-reliant if normal life is disrupted – used to be seen as a fringe obsession. But last month the Government launched the Be Ready campaign, advising households to gather water, food and other supplies in case of a civil emergency.

It’s hard to imagine such a disaster happening, and the idea of adding yet more to the big shop bill seems unnecessary – especially when many struggle to put food on the table as it is. But flooding, power cuts, extreme weather or cyber attacks are now far more likely than we imagine.

I couldn’t tell you when I first became a prepper. Recent news stories have encouraged many people to think about preparedness, but for me it’s always been a way of life. It’s not just about stockpiling food. It’s about coping when things we take for granted – like electricity, running water or access to the shops – suddenly aren’t available.

My first lessons in resilience came from my grandmother. I watched her grow and preserve food. She didn’t expect a disaster; that’s just what you did when produce was plentiful. In winter, when certain things weren’t available in the shops, we had our own preserves. And, to be honest, they often tasted better than out-of-season vegetables from the supermarket.

That stayed with me and shaped my approach to preparedness. But events over the past few years have made me take it more seriously. During the pandemic in 2020, I had a baby, but I struggled to find baby formula in the shops. I started hearing about people buying it to put in their tea and coffee. 

That showed me how quickly everyday life could be disrupted and made me think beyond growing and storing food. What would happen if something our family relied on suddenly became unavailable?

A few years ago, many dismissed prepping because they thought nothing would ever happen, while others dismissed it simply because the advice came from a government they mistrusted. Now I see comments saying: “I never thought of that before, but I get it now.” 

With floods, wildfires, cyber attacks and other disruptions making headlines, people are beginning to realise how quickly normal life can be affected. Some are genuinely frightened. I don’t want that fear to turn into panic, but I do want people to feel they can do something useful.

The Government’s recent advice to keep essentials at home is a start, but I’d like more emphasis on what families should actually do if something goes wrong. Preparedness shouldn’t be just another shopping list – it is so much more than that.

When I started my YouTube channel I wanted to share skills I felt we were forgetting: growing food, preserving it, cooking from simple ingredients and making the most of what we already have. We’ve become so used to supermarkets having everything that it’s easy to overlook how vulnerable that convenience can be. Over time, I’ve challenged myself to grow more of our family’s food and preserve as much as possible. But you don’t need a garden to take something useful from that approach.

Around holidays, supermarkets often sell vegetables at heavily reduced prices – literally pennies. I’ve bought carrots, parsnips, broccoli and plenty besides, then made the most of them. 

Some I blanch and dehydrate for storage; others become homemade soups and meals for the freezer. Properly dried and stored, those vegetables can last a long time. On a busy day, I can rehydrate a handful with hot water and add them to rice or pasta. It’s a cheap way to fill my pantry and freezer, reduce waste and save another trip to the shops.

Make a plan then test it – try spending an evening as though there’s a power cut

Of course, dehydrating involves equipment, and I’m not suggesting everyone rush out to buy a machine. In fact, that’s exactly my point. I encourage people to prepare gradually and, yes, to buy a little extra food when they can afford to. Even adding an extra £5 or £10 of staples with a long shelf life to your weekly shop – tinned fish, rice, fresh vegetables you can dry – will make a big difference. 

That’s what I do myself. A rotating pantry stocked with food your family actually eats is better than a huge stash of food nobody’s really looking forward to.

What I wouldn’t do is spend a fortune on specialist freeze-dried meals before building a basic pantry, or buy gimmicky gadgets simply because they’re marketed to preppers. If money is tight, spending on survival gear at the expense of this week’s groceries makes no sense. 

Before buying an expensive emergency kit, look around your house and chances are you already own much of what’s inside. And before buying a camouflage torch designed to blend into the forest, perhaps check whether you’ve already got one blending into the back of your cupboard. Just make sure it works.

What’s just as important is that everyone knows what to do. Sit down together with your family or flatmates, make a plan that works for your household, then test it. Try spending an evening as though there’s a power cut, without switching off anything essential.

Can you prepare a meal without your usual appliances? Find your torches? Keep everyone comfortable? You may discover something you’ve overlooked. Better to find out during a practice run than a real emergency. Preparedness isn’t about having the perfect plan; it’s about one that works for you, and improving it a little at a time.

My grandmother wasn’t preparing for the end of the world when she put food by for winter, she was making everyday life more manageable. And to me, that’s what preparedness is all about. Perhaps that’s something we could all learn from.