Prepping for the end of the world? Here's what scientists say you REALLY need - ... trends now
Britons have been urged to 'prepare for an emergency' by stockpiling essentials in case they can't leave their home.
On a new government website, a 'household emergency plan' reveals a list of 'emergency supplies' such as bottled water, wet wipes and non-perishable food.
But according to scientists, the list omits some important items that could aid survival in the event of flooding, fires, a new health pandemic or even nuclear war.
Robert Handfield, a professor of supply chain management at North Carolina State University, said households could also do with a gas-powered generator.
This could be used as a backup power source for homes during power outages in the event of a severe weather event, for example.
On a new government website, a 'household emergency plan' reveals a list of 'emergency supplies' such as bottled water, wet wipes and non-perishable food. But according to scientists, the list omits some important items
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Gas-powered generators use a gas combustion engine – meaning users would have to feed theirs natural gas or liquid propane as a fuel source.
'We are subject to strong storms and flooding, and electricity is a fundamental need,' Professor Handfield told MailOnline.
Another item that could come in handy is a chainsaw – although not for the purpose of self-defence in the case of some sort of societal breakdown as you might initially think.
'Some people often carry a chain saw if you are in a neighborhood with a lot of trees,' Professor Handfield added.
'If they fall onto your home, it’s important to get them off.'
In the case of a pandemic or a scenario requiring protection from smoke, he recommends an N95 face mask, which is better at filtering out airborne particles than surgical masks or cloth face coverings.
On a less hopeful note, Professor Alan Robock, a climatologist at Rutgers University, said if there is a nuclear war 'there is nothing that can be done to prepare for it'.
'The only solution is to rid the world of nuclear weapons,' he told MailOnline.
According to scientists, the government's list of essentials needed in an emergency omits some important items that could aid survival such as flooding. Pictured, a flooded pub earlier this year in Croscombe, Somerset
