How to prepare

[obesebee]

I just watched Stefan's 'How to stay sane in an insane world', and he fleetingly mentions there are steps to prepare for the coming social/economic collapse.

 

I was hoping there would be discussion about how to sensibly prepare (ie not buying a cabin in the woods with a decade's worth of food and ammunition). What basics should the average person do to prepare (UK based) Does anyone have any ideas/thoughts around this?

 

Thanks!

[Siegfried von Walheim]

As an American I may not be the best person to say what an Englishman ought to do to prepare, either internally or externally, for economic collapse but I will give it a fair shot...

 

First off: Live in a community as racially and culturally similar as you are. In the event that Rome falls, race and cultural markers become everything. If you're English, find a nice English gated community (if you can afford one) or a nice English country community (if you can afford to). If you're not English, then find a community as culturally and racially similar to yourself as possible. Be that Arabic, Black, Polish, Swedish, etc.

 

Second: Make sure you, your spouse, and children are armed. You never know what might happen. 

 

Third. Make sure, after finding a safe, reliable community, that you and your family is well-off and capable of moving. Digging up a bomb shelter would be a bit extreme if the chaotic frenzy of post-Rome doesn't happen like we think it will, but it will protect you completely if it does. Short of that, a gated community that could easily become a citadel in defense.

 

Fourth: Make sure you, your spouse, your children, and your reliable family members are morally and emotionally prepared.

 

Fifth (and perhaps most importantly): Make sure YOU are morally and emotionally prepared, armed with your convictions.

 

For the last part: Remember, until the inevitable happens you are watching a movie. Maybe you'll have the chance to become a community organizer or your child will become the next King of England. Not likely, therefore expect primarily to be watching in slow motion until the inevitable happens. Make peace with what may come, as well as what is already happening. Remember that your spouse and children are the only people that matter in a life-or-death scenario and that no sacrifice is too high for your family's survival and longevity.

 

Is this what you're looking for...?

[obesebee]

Yes, this is the kind of thing, thank you. Some of them are not possible right now, but some of your suggestions certainly are. Thankfully I live up north in a small city where everyone is pretty much culturally the same.

 

I think the main thing I'm struggling to come to terms with is the fear involved while watching the world slowly implode.

 

Thank you

[villagewisdom]

My planning strategy for one - three month event is as follows:

 

#1 become friends with as many neighbors as possible. You will need each other. 

#2 stock up on drinking water if you rely on a municipal source. You can look up the recommendations for how much for each person for a given number of days. Use closets, garage, storage building, etc.

#3 stock up on food. Start cataloging what you eat and next time you shop, instead of just replacing what you used, replace what you used and buy one more. Do this for a month and you have one extra month of food. Continue for 3 months and you have 3 months stored food. And it will be food that you actually eat. These would be dry or canned goods. Learn to cook with basic ingredients that are storable. 

#4 people I follow recommend getting out of stocks altogether. Use your own judgment. Tangible resources will be the most useful during financial upheaval. Land, precious metals, other commodities. 

#5 begin to plan for how to cook food and boil water, keep warm or cool, possibly have lighting, and phone charger during power outage. 

 

I left out firearm defense. I do not know what you might have available in your country for defense, but a defense strategy for what you accumulate might be #2.5 or #3.5 in the list.

 

There are other things, but IMO these are the most important to start with and in the order presented except perhaps switching 4 and 5. Then expand as you get comfortable with the list. 

 

Also, begin now building a skill such as knowing how to grow vegetables or raise a few chickens or rabbits. Or perhaps you know carpentry or some other trade that can be bartered. These are more long-term strategies. However, I would note that in the not too distant past they weren't strategies but simply how life was lived. 

[Frosty]

My predictions are that if we see collapse it wil predominantly be economic, I don't think we need to worry about cabins in woods or guns, I don't think food will stop being produced or that shelter will collapse and water stop pumping. What'll happen is that people with assets and savings will get completely wiped out, which means you need a safe place to invest your money. That can be overseas in more economically stable regions or in physical assets with some intrinsic value such as precious metals.

 

One convenient ways to buy gold which you can spend with a credit card type deal is with Peter Schiffs gold banks, i think it's EuroPac, you can buy gold which he holds overseas and you spend gold through a typical card and you spend gold at its current value against the currency.

 

Don't look to gold to save you from societal collapse, no one is going to trade gold at the end of the world, instead it's really just a good mechanism to sustain value through economic upheaval. You want to make sure that when the currency crashes and eventually builds back up to where it was, that the value you have stored is the same and not completely demolished. Any assets held in the currency that crashes will become worthless.

 

I think food hording is generally silly, if things get that bad then what you'll need is guns because if no one else is prepared and you are, then people are going to be coming for your stuff.

[algernon]

I think food hording is generally silly, if things get that bad then what you'll need is guns because if no one else is prepared and you are, then people are going to be coming for your stuff.

 

This is interesting, you call it "hoarding" which is generally perceived as something negative, and is listed as a psychological disease. I am not sure if then you are saying don't be prepared, because if you are those that aren't will try to take it, but if you aren't prepared then you will just be left alone? 

 

I've seen some statistics that the average food storage per households is around 3 days worth of food. Which isn't hard to believe it's that low because anytime there is a big winter storm in places like the North East, the grocery stores get cleaned out from people stocking up.

 

Considering the entire grocery store model is on the JIT (just in time) inventory management, any supply chain disruption means the stores are empty within a few days, no "hoarding" necessary to cause that.

 

Food storage is one of the easiest, cheapest and least difficult ways to prepare, but is often the most pooh-poohed. Is it the stigma with being labeled a crazy prepper? Why is it so ridiculous to have some "food insurance" in case of (fill in the blank) happening? Canned food lasts years, then before it starts to expire you can eat it... and buy more. Is that so ridiculous?

 

Economic collapse doesn't call for food storage? You are aware of what's happening in Venezuela right? Google: Venezuela Food Lines

[Boss]

I would get some silver and bitcoin. Maybe a little gold if you can afford it. 

Guns, car with gas, water filter and food are essential imo 


Study recent "collapsed" areas to get a better idea of what may happen like Venezuela and Zimbabwe,
 

[obesebee]

Thanks for the replies. I will start implementing some of those suggestions.

 

There certainly is a stigma around storing food. In the back of my mind I'm thinking 'this is crazy'. But it also makes a great deal of sense to me.

 

Do you think a collapse like Venezuela and Zimbabwe is possible in the US / UK? We have better infrastructures etc. I guess anything is possible though. 

[Frederik]

Regarding the food reserves I want to emphasize the point Algernon has been making. As someone who has a decent food storage since about two years, I can only attest that our grocery business around the world is absolutely not equipped to handle disruptions.

 

Consider that as soon as there is serious economic trouble people will rush out to buy food supplies, within hours. They’ll not go out and buy for another three days, but for weeks. The few hundred kilos of staple foods that supermarkets keep on the shelves will be gone within a few hours at most I would estimate. If economic disruption continues, the markets will be on constant short supply and eventually serious shortages can develop where certain food items are hard to get or are simply not available for weeks.

 

My food supply consists of pasta, rice and sugar. All these items have a virtually indefinite shelf life and are extremely cheap. I’m talking about less than a dollar per day to meet caloric needs!

[EclecticIdealist]

Regarding the food reserves I want to emphasize the point Algernon has been making. As someone who has a decent food storage since about two years (I have a caloric supply for more than half a year at this time), I can only attest that our grocery business around the world is absolutely not equipped to handle disruptions.

 

Consider that as soon as there is serious economic trouble, people will rush out to buy food supplies, within hours. They'll not go out and buy for another three days, but for weeks. The few hunded kilos of staple foods that supermarkets keep on the shelves will be gone within a few hours at most I would estimate. If economic disruption continues, the markets will be on constant short supply and eventually serious shortages can develop where certain food items are hard to get or are simply not available for weeks.

 

My food supply consists of pasta, rice and sugar. All these items have a virtually indefinite shelf life and are extremely cheap. I’m talking about less than a dollar per day to meet caloric needs!

Another thing to consider is the prudence of building a supply of food that can help you sustain temporary earning setbacks or food shortages due to inclement weather or other natural disasters. One should also consider, in addition to storing food, storing potable (drinkable) water... at least enough for 30 days or longer for every member of the household (including pets) and including whatever may be necessary for cooking or re-hydrating food. 

 

If you live in an area where there are laws against "food storage" or "food hoarding", I recommend investing in storage systems that conceal the food in a secure manner that is not susceptible to compromise by insects or rodents. Thick, hard plastics are typically the best, followed by metal tins (such as the tins for cookies and crackers) as rodents and bugs cannot get into these as long as they remain tight fitting and rust-free. Canned goods are also a good item for storage. If you own your home, you may consider creating a false wall that can be used for food storage or even an entire closet or cupboard with concealed access. You may also consider building furniture such as platform beds couches, chairs, etc. with concealed pockets, floors, drawers, etc. Again, it is imperative to avoid storing seeds or beans, etc. in nothing but the bags or boxes they were purchased in, as these may simply attract and be compromised by vermin and various other pests. If one has pets, remember to plan for them as well with a 90-day supply or more of food for them as well.  Dry food, if kept in well sealed containers can last years, just like grains and cereals for human consumption.

 

Additionally, if any person is dependant upon medication (such as insulin, steroidal inhaler, medication for hypertension, etc.), one should consider obtaining and rotating through a 30, 60, or even 90-day supply (depending on the storability of such medications at room temperature). One should also consider basic medical supplies and first-aid supplies including bandaids, alcohol wipes or the like, gauze, bandages, antiseptic ointments, anti-fungal creams, sunscreen, pain relievers, caffeine pills, coffee or other mild stimulants, anti-histamines & decongestants, cough suppressants, etc.

 

One should consider a 90-day or longer supply of personal hygiene products including soap, shampoos, conditioners, anti-perpirants & deodorants, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, baby wipes, sanitary wipes, baby diapers (if needed), toothpaste, safety razors, etc.

 

Finally, one should consider renewable sources of electricity, such as solar chargers and thermal-electric or gas-powered generators for cell phones, weather radios, and other personal or handheld electronics, flashlights, batteries, and radios. One should also consider water collection and purification, and potential weapons for self-defense and the defense of others.

 

Lastly, one should consider other items which one might readily barter with for items one might need, including extra matches, extra toiletries, flashlights, batteries, nail clippers, personal or feminine hygiene products, OTC medication, etc.

[Brainwright]

I'm rather pleased to see people making the best possible suggestion, make friends with your neighbors.

 

Some go about this with cultural homogeneity, but the modern problem is physical communities seem to largely not exist.  Even we here are just a community on a broadcast medium, and we should all take steps to open ourselves up to our neighbors.

 

Maybe if more people started doing that, we would stave off whatever collapse we're anticipating.