Gas masks, water filters and instant risotto with a sell-by date fifteen years away – since head of NATO Mark Rutte told people to be prepared for a possible war, more survival kits leave the shops. One of the shops where sales have picked up is Urban Survival in Veldhoven, which specialises in survival goods.
“People have a heightened awareness of the need to prepare. We see an increase of 60 per cent in the sale of food and water kits”, says proprietor Leon Kockelmann. “When it comes to torches and water filters, we have noticed a 30 to 40 per cent increase following Rutte’s speech”.
Essential items
The emercency kits consist of the most essential items necessary in case of war, for example non-perishable food such as used in the military, but also a first aid kit, torch, water filter and power bank.
Short term
“Although the kits are very useful in an emergency, they are not meant to sustain people for years”, Leon explains. “They are 72-hour kits, meant to tide you over in the first days of a war. But we are counting on the government to get the situation under control. So, in case of an incident or if the police or the fire brigade do not have the capacity to rescue everyone, you have the means to provide for yourself in less urgent cases.”
Bunker preppers
Some people, though, go to extremes and have turned so-called ‘prepping into a hobby. “The so-called ‘bunker preppers’ who latch on to a trend in the U.S.A., buy goods such as gas masks, waterproof clothing, and survival sleeping bags. They have prepared several backpacks so when they head out, they can choose which equipment they wish to take with them”, Leon explains.
Source: Studio040
Translated by Greta
