WW3 is imminent, where to begin prepping? (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 1/12/2026 8:30:42 PM EDT
[Last Edit: 1775][Edited]
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Many believe that a major, perhaps global conflict is all but certain. With a request to almost double the DOW budget, invoking the Monroe Doctrine, talk of Greenland, and quick uptick in many defense manufacturers, it is not hard to understand why people think this. 2027 has long been given as the year China moves on Taiwan. I have friends and family that I have never discussed prepping with openly talking about the need to prepare and where to start. If you were to give advice to someone who has nothing more than a normal American pantry, what items would you tell them to focus on by priority? Edit: After some solid responses I would like to ask another question to narrow down this thought exercise. Posted below but editing OP as well. For the sake of the thought exercise say someone has $2000 to spend on preps. The money cause a negative financial impact for them, they have retirement and emergency funds and everything else financial taken care of. What would your suggestions be in the following scenarios of not prepares, more prepared than most but not at the levels of those who dwell within the survival forum. Level 1 - family of 4 and a dog. They have standard stocks of food for the American pantry, so maybe 2-3 weeks if they stretched it out and couldn't resupply those food stocks for whatever reason. A handful of flashlights, normal blankets for a house, couple of coolers empty in the Garage. Level 2 - family of 4 and a dog. They have deep stocks of their normal food items. A full deep freezer with 2 months of meat frozen. 100+ items of home canned food, mostly fruits and vegetables. The means to can a large amount of the meat if the need were to arise (but not able to can it all immediately, would need at least a week or 2. 2 - 2000 watt inverter generators, 40 gallons of ethanol free gas on hand. Normal tools for American garage and shed in the 90s (no one works with their hands anymore so more equipped than today but far from an auto or machine shop). Experience with small garden every year. On city water and sewer but an irrigation well on property for possible water supply, a 15000 above ground pool, but no real potable water storage past maybe a week. Both on 1/3 of an acre in a HOA which prohibits livestock or chickens. Both with firearms and basic knowledge. Both with basic stop the bleed training and a handful of normal first aid supplies. Where would you recommend these 2 different families prioritizing $2k to get themselves in a better position. |
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Originally Posted By John-in-austin: Oh, that's easy. Go back to 1989 and start there. Not exactly helpful response for the survival forum. While I have suggestions I have made to people, I posed the question as a thought exercise to pull on experience and knowledge of others. Time travel isn't going to help anyone. |
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Ammo. Component shortage likely as raw materials diverted to a war effort. Almost 0 chance of land invasion so you wont needbit for a Red Dawn, but training takes a hit without ammo. I doubt food guns and other things made in US will be affected. |
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Originally Posted By 1775: Not exactly helpful response for the survival forum. While I have suggestions I have made to people, I posed the question as a thought exercise to pull on experience and knowledge of others. Time travel isn't going to help anyone. My point is, it's really too late to think of prepping immediately before a catastrophic event. Very, very few individuals are going to have the resources or time in your scenario. There is a lot more to it than just stockpiling canned goods and ammo. You need a stable location, training in a variety of skills, (as well as training your family) for example, carpentry or how to butcher a hog. It's not as simple as "buy stuff and wait for the world to end". I have a pretty decent setup for the wife and myself. It took me 23 years to put it all together. We even bought this house as a prep. (Proximity to a 60 mile long lake) Everything from propane storage to classes on how to suture wounds and materials for making fish traps. Same with the wife. She took EMS classes, taught herself to dehydrate foods and knows exactly what drugs we have in inventory. My suggestion for absolute last minute prepping is to find a like minded bunch and pool resources/skills. Inflation and shortages are your most serious problem. (we would be going to war with our largest supplier of thousands of must have items from blood pressure medicine to copper wire.) Enemy paratroopers in your backyard, not so much. |
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Originally Posted By 1775: Not exactly helpful response for the survival forum. While I have suggestions I have made to people, I posed the question as a thought exercise to pull on experience and knowledge of others. Time travel isn't going to help anyone. The tech forums and even Team have become GD light, which is why I rarely post anything anymore. |
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Start by keeping more of what you use on-hand with a focus on food, water, medical, etc. This is not stockpiling prepping supplies, just more of what you are already going to use. If SHTF you've got a lot of stuff stashed. If it doesn't, you're going to use it anyway. I like to use the best by date (recognizing food doesn't go bad on the best by) and how much I normally consume to judge the amount. For example, if I use two cans of kidney beans a month and the best by is two years out I could store 48 cans and not reach the best by. Again, not that it's going to go bad, it's more about not accumulating stuff that is probably going to be thrown out. I'm not storing 48 cans of kidney's but if you multiply this approach out for non-perishable or even perishable supplies you could have a quite a lot of food and other supplies just in case. The key is rotate and adjust the quantity as needed or as space allows. This approach also gives you the opportunity to buy on sale or by the case. It's also nice not to have to rush out to the store for a can of kidney beans. The above approach is palatable for beginners or people on the fence because it's not "crazy", specialized, or expensive. With a small budget the stash can be built up over time with a few extra items at a time. ETA - Don't forget water. |
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Originally Posted By pedaler: Start by keeping more of what you use on-hand with a focus on food, water, medical, etc. This is not stockpiling prepping supplies, just more of what you are already going to use. If SHTF you've got a lot of stuff stashed. If it doesn't, you're going to use it anyway. I like to use the best by date (recognizing food doesn't go bad on the best by) and how much I normally consume to judge the amount. For example, if I use two cans of kidney beans a month and the best by is two years out I could store 48 cans and not reach the best by. Again, not that it's going to go bad, it's more about not accumulating stuff that is probably going to be thrown out. I'm not storing 48 cans of kidney's but if you multiple this approach out for non-perishable supplies you could have a quite a lot of food and other supplies. The key is rotate and adjust the quantity as needed or as space allows. This approach also gives you the opportunity to buy on sale or by the case. It's also nice not to have to rush out to the store for a can of kidney beans. The above approach is palatable for beginners or people on the fence because it's not "crazy", specialized, or expensive. With a small budget the stash can be built up over time with a few extra items at a time. ETA - Don't forget water. This is the advice I most commonly provide. It is also how I got my wife on board with prepping. 2020 and the resulting shortages from covid reinforced it for her. We buy in bulk and never run out, because we refill our pantry from the overfill and then resupply that from the store. The last couple of months though have seen people i never would have expected to think about preps, begin to openly talk about the need to prepare. |
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Originally Posted By John-in-austin: My point is, it's really too late to think of prepping immediately before a catastrophic event. Very, very few individuals are going to have the resources or time in your scenario. There is a lot more to it than just stockpiling canned goods and ammo. You need a stable location, training in a variety of skills, (as well as training your family) for example, carpentry or how to butcher a hog. It's not as simple as "buy stuff and wait for the world to end". I have a pretty decent setup for the wife and myself. It took me 23 years to put it all together. We even bought this house as a prep. (Proximity to a 60 mile long lake) Everything from propane storage to classes on how to suture wounds and materials for making fish traps. Same with the wife. She took EMS classes, taught herself to dehydrate foods and knows exactly what drugs we have in inventory. My suggestion for absolute last minute prepping is to find a like minded bunch and pool resources/skills. Inflation and shortages are your most serious problem. (we would be going to war with our largest supplier of thousands of must have items from blood pressure medicine to copper wire.) Enemy paratroopers in your backyard, not so much. Originally Posted By John-in-austin: Originally Posted By 1775: Not exactly helpful response for the survival forum. While I have suggestions I have made to people, I posed the question as a thought exercise to pull on experience and knowledge of others. Time travel isn't going to help anyone. My point is, it's really too late to think of prepping immediately before a catastrophic event. Very, very few individuals are going to have the resources or time in your scenario. There is a lot more to it than just stockpiling canned goods and ammo. You need a stable location, training in a variety of skills, (as well as training your family) for example, carpentry or how to butcher a hog. It's not as simple as "buy stuff and wait for the world to end". I have a pretty decent setup for the wife and myself. It took me 23 years to put it all together. We even bought this house as a prep. (Proximity to a 60 mile long lake) Everything from propane storage to classes on how to suture wounds and materials for making fish traps. Same with the wife. She took EMS classes, taught herself to dehydrate foods and knows exactly what drugs we have in inventory. My suggestion for absolute last minute prepping is to find a like minded bunch and pool resources/skills. Inflation and shortages are your most serious problem. (we would be going to war with our largest supplier of thousands of must have items from blood pressure medicine to copper wire.) Enemy paratroopers in your backyard, not so much. So while I agree skills are extremely important, don't you kind of contradict yourself here? If you're (and I say that generally, not you specifically) main concern is shortages because of a global conflict and not enemy troops in CONUS, then wouldn't it make more sense to stockpile supplies? WW2 saw rationing on a nationwide scale. WW3 will probably see the same. What would you focus on stockpiling in preparation for that. I would also say that attacks here are not out of the question. extremely large numbers of military aged males in the country over the last decade plus, possible cyber attacks through Chinese backdoor, and a real possibility of ab October 7 style attack. Paratroopers? No. Real physical threats and very plausible grid disruption? Yes |
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Originally Posted By 1775: So while I agree skills are extremely important, don't you kind of contradict yourself here? If you're (and I say that generally, not you specifically) main concern is shortages because of a global conflict and not enemy troops in CONUS, then wouldn't it make more sense to stockpile supplies? WW2 saw rationing on a nationwide scale. WW3 will probably see the same. What would you focus on stockpiling in preparation for that. I would also say that attacks here are not out of the question. extremely large numbers of military aged males in the country over the last decade plus, possible cyber attacks through Chinese backdoor, and a real possibility of ab October 7 style attack. Paratroopers? No. Real physical threats and very plausible grid disruption? Yes I admit, it makes for good dystopian fiction, but just like every other war across the globe, your main hardships are economic. I can do nothing to prepare for an Oct 7th style event (example) so I don't bother. Devaluation of currency. Increased cost (or flat out unavailability of goods) is my focus. Heck, in your scenario you don't even really have time to plant a garden. Much less lay in livestock. Study what happened in Venezuela, Bosnia, Yugoslavia and the other Baltic states. The major European powers at the start of WWI is an even better example. Take a look at what is happening in Ukraine. If not for massive loads of US cash they would be standing in Soviet run breadlines by now. Economic collapse and loss of services should be your main focus. As for what I've been doing, is exactly what Pedaler above mentioned. I rotate my stock of kidney beans (along with everything else) as a lifestyle choice. We've always done it. (As an aside, You can get a rough idea of how well things are going by comparing new packaging to older packaging. That 16oz can of beans bought last year is now 12oz for example) My grandparents did quite well during WWII rationing by having five milking cows, chickens and a garden. They traded for other goods. He often took his pay as a construction worker on a Navy base in goods rather than cash. Grandpa never had to shoot anyone and I doubt he had more than a dozen or so rounds for his 44-40 in any case, even back in the day when the local hardware store sold rounds individually. |
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Originally Posted By 1775: Many believe that a major, perhaps global conflict is all but certain. With a request to almost double the DOW budget, invoking the Monroe Doctrine, talk of Greenland, and quick uptick in many defense manufacturers, it is not hard to understand why people think this. 2027 has long been given as the year China moves on Taiwan. I have friends and family that I have never discussed prepping with openly talking about the need to prepare and where to start. If you were to give advice to someone who has nothing more than a normal American pantry, what items would you tell them to focus on by priority? Same as always: Tell them about the Rule Of Threes. 3 Minutes without air 3 hours without shelter 3 days without water 3 weeks without food 3 months without hope They aren’t going to drown, freeze, or die from dehydration, but it might be a great time to make sure they have the ability to cook and sterilize or filter water on a continuous basis. They might want to know that having a few cans of food put away is valuable, but that there is a difference between being Fed and being Not Hungry-beans and rice are cheap filler than can make a can of soup got a lot longer. Make sure they have medication, toilet paper, perfume and deodorant, toothpaste, things they need to have to feel human. Have them pick out books they might like to read, and hard copies of those phone pics of the kids they might want to look at but can’t because the cell system is down…. It’s not hard. Have a go-bag, have the means to feed and protect yourself. Have a bicycle. Be less reliant on others to do the things you need to do. |
Never make another person a priority when they merely see you as an option...
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
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Ops had posted many times "How do you eat an elephant?" "One bite at a time." When a total noobie is asking about preps Who is asking Your single cat woman cousin that has some msm tv blasting 24/7 every room of the house? The 21 year old kid at work that is just starting out on his own and shares a rental with 3 others? For msm inhalers that binge on every bit of panic porn published...direct them to FEMA online instructions and politely disengage. For somebody just starting preping that has their head together. Start with the Ops quote above then let them know that this is more lifestyle than weekend shopping list. Hurricane preps and backup plans and plans for when backup plans go bad and another backup plan Hurricane preps can be used as unemployment preps Hurricane security preps will probably look a lot like riot preps On and on Ops and Tom Jefferson have many great posts about starting out |
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FPNI the time to start preparing is not on the eve of the event and this goes for more than just chaos prep. retirement, emergency fund, kids etc come up with a plan and a budget. Prioritize what you think is critical and then work your plan as life and your budget allows A little more in line with what you're asking, in my early twenties I prioritized getting a rifle and pistol - at the time nothing was fancy and both were pawnshop finds enough ammo to get by but not enough to defend the Almo enough food to get me barely through a winter, 3 months worth of the cheapest stuff I could find that had at least a few years shelve life since then, I have added many many more preps for even the most unlikely of possible needs, but I enjoy the prep and learning new stuff so its more of a hobby at this point |
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My 2 cents is this One is none 2 is one It’s better to have it and not need it that to need it and not have it In a situation like this you’ll need everything. Food Water Shelter Comms Things to barter Means to protect your life and stash Means to stay healthy including training evolutions in first aid You don’t want to be in a ketchup situation. Start small unless you have means to do more |
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Originally Posted By John-in-austin: My point is, it's really too late to think of prepping immediately before a catastrophic event. Very, very few individuals are going to have the resources or time in your scenario. There is a lot more to it than just stockpiling canned goods and ammo. You need a stable location, training in a variety of skills, (as well as training your family) for example, carpentry or how to butcher a hog. It's not as simple as "buy stuff and wait for the world to end". I have a pretty decent setup for the wife and myself. It took me 23 years to put it all together. We even bought this house as a prep. (Proximity to a 60 mile long lake) Everything from propane storage to classes on how to suture wounds and materials for making fish traps. Same with the wife. She took EMS classes, taught herself to dehydrate foods and knows exactly what drugs we have in inventory. My suggestion for absolute last minute prepping is to find a like minded bunch and pool resources/skills. Inflation and shortages are your most serious problem. (we would be going to war with our largest supplier of thousands of must have items from blood pressure medicine to copper wire.) Enemy paratroopers in your backyard, not so much. Imagine the circumstances if the West had maintained a level of self-sufficiency instead of making a China monster to get cheap labor to buff business quarterlies. |
| I remember reading the book “the Road”. I was very amazed that he was walking around with one bullet in his gun. I would say to start getting guns if they have none, ammo for each gun if they have some, and food. Just buy a little every payday, aside from what you normally get. |
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Originally Posted By Novelty: Ammo. Component shortage likely as raw materials diverted to a war effort. Almost 0 chance of land invasion so you wont needbit for a Red Dawn, but training takes a hit without ammo. I doubt food guns and other things made in US will be affected. Except for the parts to make those things that are not made in USA. |
I love a good double entendre.
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Originally Posted By 505stevec: I remember reading the book “the Road”. I was very amazed that he was walking around with one bullet in his gun. I would say to start getting guns if they have none, ammo for each gun if they have some, and food. Just buy a little every payday, aside from what you normally get. @505stevec In case you didn't know, the events in the book were 10 years after the catastrophe that happened. Even with thousands of rounds, I'm not sure you could keep it for 10 years especially if you were on the move all the time. |
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Originally Posted By 1775: If you were to give advice to someone who has nothing more than a normal American pantry, what items would you tell them to focus on by priority? Best advice is to not focus on WWIII or some massive Civil War 2, just focus on your regional, seasonal/weather events. Hurricanes, ice-storms, flooding, power outages, etc. Hell, you could even pull up FEMA's Preparedness Toolkit website and point out that even the government knows it can’t respond to everyone in a timely manner. Pull up some recent events as examples, bonus points if they’re common for your area/region. For us, it was Hurricane Helene and 18 days without power. Yes, I think global events will eventually impact American lives. Yes, given my occupation, I think 2027 may end up revealing disruptions to part of our electric grid, ICS/SCADA systems, banking, etc. Even if that doesn’t impact your local area or region, it will drive up prices and dry up supplies. It doesn’t have to even be a long crisis, but most Americans don’t have enough food in the pantry for three weeks, they don’t have enough potable water if the faucets stopped for more than a few days, they don’t have critical medical supplies or prescription meds for more than a month, and they have no means of receiving communication or information if the mobile network, Wifi, or internet service internet providers went dark. Prioritize water (storage and filtering/treating), food, meds, radio, flashlights/batteries, heating source for the winter, cooking methods (a way to heat water and cook) if electricity is out (and they don’t have a gas stove). Any OTCs for typical needs and at least an extra prescription or two for prescription medication. Self-defense should also be addressed, but that gets into capabilities, level of training, and commitment to understanding self-defense. ROCK6 |
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
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Start stocking up on the supplies you use on a regular basis. Buy a few extra cans of what you normally use every week. Imagine if you were a citizen on December 06, 1941, with no clue of what was to come. Not to say that everything disappeared on December 07th, but once the panic buying starts the prices go up and the availability goes down, either through interrupted production, government interruptions of availability(rationing or outright seizure) Its already been mentioned but look at what was rationed in World War 2 and start to build out your plans from there Look at what disappeared after past natural disasters. Lots of "lessons learned videos on Youtube that cover that topic Organize what you have so that you can identify what shortages in supplies and equipment exist within your inventory. A lack of organization is as bad as not having stuff because you cannot put your hands on your supplies in a timely manner when you need them. There are plenty of prep checklists out there. The PDF collection I was passing around here a few years ago must have a few dozen different prep checklists alone. |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
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For the normies, point them to https://www.ready.gov/ It provides the basics of building a 72 hour kit here For training, start here: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) There are plenty of people who were told to "buy a gun" who have zero knowledge of firearms, their use, or the will to use them. Guns are major assets for us, but for normies there is the potential to just be a liability. Probably best to have them do basic pistol training and/or LTC training before the non-gun people jump into firearms with both feet. |
per aspera ad astra
| As far as China invading Taiwan, China just lost the oil from Venezuela... and may soon be loosing the oil from Iran... Without that oil supply I am less worried that they will be able to launch a massive sea invasion of anywhere... but whatever it takes to get people to become an asset instead of a victim. |
per aspera ad astra
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I think having stuff for a Victory Garden is probably the only real thing we could do. Unless war happens on American soil the only thing we can do to meaningfully control material shortages would be helping out food supply. |
The “Three Stupid” Rule: “Do not go to stupid places, with stupid people, and do stupid things”
Religion is a handy device for keeping the philosophically deficient in line.
Religion is a handy device for keeping the philosophically deficient in line.
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In order: Shelter Water Food Defense I've been doing this for a while.... cover the above to a reasonable level. You'll die if exposed to severe weather for3 hours. You'll die in 3 days without water. You'll die in 3 weeks without food. You could be dead in 3 seconds without defense. You could write an encyclopedia about how to implement the above... Start with the FEMA guidelines for 3 days. expand to 2 weeks. Expand to 30 days, then 90.days. by then they'll "get it" and be fine on their own. Base your planning on prepp8ng for the most likely scenario first, and the least likely, last. Severe weather happens everywhere, be it blizzard, hurricane, tornado, or windstorm. Do not rule out personal SHTF. I suffered a disabling injury due to an auto accident and was unable to work. We had shelter, water, food, and defense.... |
Another old guy
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Originally Posted By 300WinMagGuy: I'd add a generator. An attack on the power grid could happen. |
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Originally Posted By John-in-austin: My point is, it's really too late to think of prepping immediately before a catastrophic event. Very, very few individuals are going to have the resources or time in your scenario. There is a lot more to it than just stockpiling canned goods and ammo. You need a stable location, training in a variety of skills, (as well as training your family) for example, carpentry or how to butcher a hog. It's not as simple as "buy stuff and wait for the world to end". I have a pretty decent setup for the wife and myself. It took me 23 years to put it all together. We even bought this house as a prep. (Proximity to a 60 mile long lake) Everything from propane storage to classes on how to suture wounds and materials for making fish traps. Same with the wife. She took EMS classes, taught herself to dehydrate foods and knows exactly what drugs we have in inventory. My suggestion for absolute last minute prepping is to find a like minded bunch and pool resources/skills. Inflation and shortages are your most serious problem. (we would be going to war with our largest supplier of thousands of must have items from blood pressure medicine to copper wire.) Enemy paratroopers in your backyard, not so much. Originally Posted By John-in-austin: Originally Posted By 1775: Not exactly helpful response for the survival forum. While I have suggestions I have made to people, I posed the question as a thought exercise to pull on experience and knowledge of others. Time travel isn't going to help anyone. My point is, it's really too late to think of prepping immediately before a catastrophic event. Very, very few individuals are going to have the resources or time in your scenario. There is a lot more to it than just stockpiling canned goods and ammo. You need a stable location, training in a variety of skills, (as well as training your family) for example, carpentry or how to butcher a hog. It's not as simple as "buy stuff and wait for the world to end". I have a pretty decent setup for the wife and myself. It took me 23 years to put it all together. We even bought this house as a prep. (Proximity to a 60 mile long lake) Everything from propane storage to classes on how to suture wounds and materials for making fish traps. Same with the wife. She took EMS classes, taught herself to dehydrate foods and knows exactly what drugs we have in inventory. My suggestion for absolute last minute prepping is to find a like minded bunch and pool resources/skills. Inflation and shortages are your most serious problem. (we would be going to war with our largest supplier of thousands of must have items from blood pressure medicine to copper wire.) Enemy paratroopers in your backyard, not so much. I am on that same 65 mile lake. Get good books too. Internet could be out. |
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Mostly great responses and much of it is in line with the replies I have given when asked. FEMA suggestions have been my biggest go to because of OP/PERSEC concerns. I don't want people thinking they know where they can go in a crisis and try to take from my family. If you would entertain it, I would like to further the thought exercise here a little bit. And this isn't some doom end of the world fantasy, this is planning out the real possibility of a global conflict the size of which we haven't seen in 80 years if ever in human history. Is it likely to occur, up for debate, is it reasonably possible, absolutely. For the sake of the thought exercise say someone has $2000 to spend on preps. The money cause a negative financial impact for them, they have retirement and emergency funds and everything else financial taken care of. What would your suggestions be in the following scenarios of not prepares, more prepared than most but not at the levels of those who dwell within the survival forum. Level 1 - family of 4 and a dog. They have standard stocks of food for the American pantry, so maybe 2-3 weeks if they stretched it out and couldn't resupply those food stocks for whatever reason. A handful of flashlights, normal blankets for a house, couple of coolers empty in the Garage. Level 2 - family of 4 and a dog. They have deep stocks of their normal food items. A full deep freezer with 2 months of meat frozen. 100+ items of home canned food, mostly fruits and vegetables. The means to can a large amount of the meat if the need were to arise (but not able to can it all immediately, would need at least a week or 2. 2 - 2000 watt inverter generators, 40 gallons of ethanol free gas on hand. Normal tools for American garage and shed in the 90s (no one works with their hands anymore so more equipped than today but far from an auto or machine shop). Experience with small garden every year. On city water and sewer but an irrigation well on property for possible water supply, a 15000 above ground pool, but no real potable water storage past maybe a week. Both on 1/3 of an acre in a HOA which prohibits livestock or chickens. Both with firearms and basic knowledge. Both with basic stop the bleed training and a handful of normal first aid supplies. Where would you recommend these 2 different families prioritizing $2k to get themselves in a better position. |
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I'd like to add here that my purpose is to narrow down where everyone would identify gaps and where they would recommend prioritizing filling thlse gaps in the 2 stated scenarios. Saying that you're too late, or that starting 30 years ago was ideal is not helpful. Not everyone is in their 50s or 60s who have had that amount of time, or the resources to do so. I work with many young people, me telling a 22 year old who is asking for advice "start in 1989" is not helpful. Everyone is at different points in their lives. Some may be starting out at the age you did, some may not have had the financial ability, some may just now be seeing a reason to. Thought exercises can help identify gaps or areas to adjust before something happens and the preps are needed and end up being insufficient. For scenario 1 I would recommend focusing on the foods they already eat. Create a deep pantry they can pull from and constantly rotate that. I would also recommend a deep freezer and buying some extra meat. A generator and fuel storage would also be needed but would probably start to push above that $2k budget. For scenario 2, which is a similar situation to where I am actually in in my actual preps, I would lean towards solar generator and portable panels. The biggest shortfall is the amount of food storage that relies on electricity. A solar solution would allow for that to run almost indefinitely and would also allow for other electronics to be charged, window ac unit ran, etc. Both scenario recommendations revolve around power and a large part of that is because of how integral it is to our daily lives and how vulnerable the grid is. Generator in 1 is limited by fuel and can be heard from miles away. However in the hurricane belt they are not out of the norm and the initial week wouldn't draw too much attention. I also don't think grid issued would be permanent but more of a intermittent or short term issue due to cyber and physical attacks. One area that I didn't recommend but am seriously considering is investing in a few months of freeze dried food. These would not be ideal but seem to be a great last case scenario insurance plan to prevent starvation. |
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Level 1 - family of 4 and a dog. They have standard stocks of food for the American pantry, so maybe 2-3 weeks if they stretched it out and couldn't resupply those food stocks for whatever reason. A handful of flashlights, normal blankets for a house, couple of coolers empty in the Garage. Food. A couple hundred dollars will build them a year supply of basic grains. Add at least 2 weeks of ready to eat no cooking required foods. Water storage- might find IBC totes cheap, put a few in the garage, get the proper adapters to allow plumbing. Look at 12v on demand RV pumps to give some pressure and you can tie into your house water system. Small solar to charge important small items- batteries for radios, flashlights, NV, thermal, etc. Warm, rugged clothes, heavy sleeping bags. If the home has even a insert type fireplace, stock a couple cords of firewood. That's a decent start and should be well under $2K |
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Originally Posted By 1775: I'd like to add here that my purpose is to narrow down where everyone would identify gaps and where they would recommend prioritizing filling thlse gaps in the 2 stated scenarios. Saying that you're too late, or that starting 30 years ago was ideal is not helpful. Not everyone is in their 50s or 60s who have had that amount of time, or the resources to do so. I work with many young people, me telling a 22 year old who is asking for advice "start in 1989" is not helpful. Everyone is at different points in their lives. Some may be starting out at the age you did, some may not have had the financial ability, some may just now be seeing a reason to. Thought exercises can help identify gaps or areas to adjust before something happens and the preps are needed and end up being insufficient. For scenario 1 I would recommend focusing on the foods they already eat. Create a deep pantry they can pull from and constantly rotate that. I would also recommend a deep freezer and buying some extra meat. A generator and fuel storage would also be needed but would probably start to push above that $2k budget. For scenario 2, which is a similar situation to where I am actually in in my actual preps, I would lean towards solar generator and portable panels. The biggest shortfall is the amount of food storage that relies on electricity. A solar solution would allow for that to run almost indefinitely and would also allow for other electronics to be charged, window ac unit ran, etc. Both scenario recommendations revolve around power and a large part of that is because of how integral it is to our daily lives and how vulnerable the grid is. Generator in 1 is limited by fuel and can be heard from miles away. However in the hurricane belt they are not out of the norm and the initial week wouldn't draw too much attention. I also don't think grid issued would be permanent but more of a intermittent or short term issue due to cyber and physical attacks. One area that I didn't recommend but am seriously considering is investing in a few months of freeze dried food. These would not be ideal but seem to be a great last case scenario insurance plan to prevent starvation. Well, your first mistake is relying on food storage that requires power. As has already been pointed out by others, power supplies are costly, require upkeep and attract attention. Smoke or can your meat supplies and vegetables. If you HAVE to have refrigeration, buy a propane model and run it off your main tank. |
| read some books, I heard of one about the Bosnian war in the 90s was pretty good. try to keep a good group of friends in your area, be prepared to possibly be homeless, know that if the odds are too great there is no surviving. strength in numbers, most will die from unsanitary living condition and terrible hygiene issues. mouth wash, tooth brush, fabric to wipe on. if a big group comes to kill you for what you have you are probably just out of luck unless you have a good number of friends with you. People will be burning houses for warmth and to cook on. |
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Asked ChatGPT: This is a solid, realistic question—and you’ve already done the most important thing by not wrecking your finances to prep. With $2,000 that hurts a little but doesn’t endanger you, the goal isn’t “doomsday,” it’s closing the biggest capability gaps and buying time, flexibility, and margin. I’ll treat these as two different optimization problems, because Level 2 is already far ahead and shouldn’t spend money like Level 1. I’ll also assume the most likely disruptions: Short-to-medium supply chain interruption (weeks–months) Power instability Weather events Temporary water or fuel disruption Civil inconvenience, not collapse LEVEL 1 Family of 4 + dog | 2–3 weeks food | minimal infrastructure Strategic goal Get from “fragile but normal” → 30–60 days survivable with utilities degraded, without turning the house into a bunker. Top vulnerabilities Water Power outage coping Food depth & cooking Lighting & comms Medical depth Organization & morale Level 1 – $2,000 Priority Breakdown 1️⃣ Water (Highest priority) – ~$450 You cannot stretch water the way you can food. Targets 30 days minimum potable water Ability to purify additional water Buy (4) 7-gal water containers (Aqua-Tainer or similar): ~$100 Gravity water filter (Berkey / ProOne / Lifestraw Family): ~$250 Pool shock or purification tabs: ~$30 Collapsible extra containers: ~$70 Why Covers drinking + basic hygiene Lets you treat rain, melted ice, or questionable sources 2️⃣ Power & Lighting – ~$400 You don’t need a generator yet—you need quiet, reliable light and phone power. Buy (2–3) LED lanterns (USB rechargeable): ~$120 (4–6) high-quality headlamps: ~$120 Large power bank (≥ 500Wh): ~$160 Why Headlamps beat flashlights hands-down Lanterns preserve morale and function Phones = maps, info, comms, entertainment 3️⃣ Food extension & cooking – ~$450 You already have pantry food—this is about making it last. Buy 1-month food buffer (rice, beans, pasta, oats, canned protein): ~$250 Camp stove + fuel (dual fuel preferred): ~$120 Manual can opener, basic spices, oil: ~$80 Why Cheap calories buy time Cooking capability matters more than variety 4️⃣ Medical & hygiene – ~$300 This is where most people are thin. Buy Full trauma kit (beyond Stop the Bleed): ~$120 OTC meds (pain, GI, allergy, fever): ~$80 Hygiene stock (soap, wipes, feminine supplies): ~$100 5️⃣ Organization & comfort – ~$200 Preps you can’t find are useless. Buy Storage bins & labels: ~$80 Extra blankets / sleeping bags: ~$120 Level 1 Outcome With $2,000, this family moves from: “We’d be uncomfortable in a week” to “We can ride out a month or two calmly.” That’s a massive upgrade. LEVEL 2 Family of 4 + dog | food-rich | fuel-rich | water-poor Strategic goal Convert abundance into resilience and continuity. You already have stuff. What you lack is: Water buffering Fuel longevity Energy efficiency Preservation speed Failure redundancy Level 2 – $2,000 Priority Breakdown 1️⃣ Water resilience (Top priority) – ~$600 You have lots of water—you just can’t drink it safely yet. Buy 250–300 gallons potable storage (stackable barrels): ~$300 Whole-house gravity filter or high-capacity purifier: ~$250 Pool-to-potable conversion supplies (pre-filter, hose, chlorine): ~$50 Why City water failures are common Pool = massive asset if you can treat it 2️⃣ Freezer failure & meat preservation – ~$400 Your freezer is both an asset and a liability. Buy Pressure canner (All-American / Presto): ~$300 Extra propane or fuel for canning marathon: ~$100 Why Lets you save thousands of dollars of food Turns a time-limited resource into shelf-stable protein 3️⃣ Fuel & power efficiency – ~$400 You have generators—now make them last longer. Buy Inverter fridge/freezer thermometer + alarms: ~$50 Extension cords, transfer safety gear: ~$150 Small solar panel + battery (for phones, lights): ~$200 Why Solar preserves fuel Efficient power usage doubles endurance 4️⃣ Tools & repair depth – ~$300 You’re “90s-garage equipped”—this pushes you into problem-solving mode. Buy Consumables (oil, filters, belts, spark plugs): ~$150 Plumbing & electrical spares: ~$150 Why Repairs become impossible fast during disruptions Small failures cascade into big problems 5️⃣ Garden scale-up – ~$300 You have experience—now scale intelligently. Buy Soil amendments, seeds, shade cloth, drip irrigation parts Manual tools (broadfork, quality hoe) Why Food independence isn’t instant—but this sets the foundation Level 2 Outcome With $2,000, this family goes from: “We’re stocked but brittle” to “We can operate indefinitely if systems degrade.” You’re buying continuity, not supplies. Key Insight (for both families) Preparedness isn’t about gear density—it’s about rate of failure. The best $2,000: Slows how fast things break Gives you time to adapt Reduces stress and bad decisions |
per aspera ad astra
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The only way either of your scenarios works is if you have a short-term emergency or law and order/martial law is in place in a time of war. HOA neighborhoods (I live in one) will be plunder targets for other scenarios. However, here is my idea of best bang for the buck. I'm under 5% over budget, but there are cheaper versions of a lot of things I listed that could easily achieve the $2k limit. All of this can easily fit in the back of a pickup, so if you're fleeing to rural family, it can easily loaded up with you. This is all assuming basic firearm and ammo needs are already taken care of. Going the cheapest route, A PSA rifle with sling, mags can be done for around $600, plus ammo. Add in a Dagger, pmags, holster and ammo, as well as mag carriers for the rifle and pistol, we are easily in the $1400 range for one setup without plates. Scenario 1-package up beans and rice in mylar and totes for long term storage (hopefully they like beans as rotating them will be essential after a couple years). Canned vegetables on sale. Pressure canner, lots of new jars/lids and then add meat, fruit and fresh veggies to can as it goes on sale or in season. Small solar charger for electronics, radios (both comms and broadcast), a family size gravity water filter, and some extra filters. Starting a garden can be laborious but seeds are cheap. Water sourcing will be tedious and labor intensive, depending on where you live Black beans-Sam's 12# for $11 x20 = $220 Rice- Sams 25# for $13 x20 = $260 Mylar-Amazon 110 1 gallon bags with O2 absorbers for $32 Totes- HD 27 gallon $9x20=$180 Misc canned fruits/veggie/tomatoes on sale to really stock pantry 200 cans at $1.10 average=$220 Water filter-Lifestraw Community with extra filter $500 10 Homer buckets with lids for water sourcing and storage -$70 Presto 23 qt pressure canner w/ extra seals amazon = $185 canning jars 10 flats various sizes Walmart- $15 avg x 10 = $150 Renology 200w portable solar panel Amazon $175 Emergency AM/FM/WX rechargeble radio Amazon= $45 Baofeng UV5R mini 2 pack Amazon-$38 Seeds-$20 Total-$2095 Scenario 2- Add some long term food storage. Water filtration and sourcing well power, solar for device charging and comms, garden of course Black beans-Sam's 12# for $11 x10 = $110 Rice- Sams 25# for $13 x10 = $130 Mylar-Amazon 110 1 gallon bags with O2 absorbers for $32 Totes- HD 27 gallon $9x10=$90 Water filter-Lifestraw Community with extra filter $500 Propane generator (preferably used) that will power well pump/spare carb, plugs,etc, propane tanks and hoses to fill pool- $900 going to have to look for deals on marketplace for this one Renology 200w portable solar panel Amazon $175 Emergency AM/FM/WX rechargeble radio Amazon= $45 Baofeng UV5R mini 2 pack Amazon-$38 Seeds-$20 Total-$2040 |
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Originally Posted By Brawndo: The only way either of your scenarios works is if you have a short-term emergency or law and order/martial law is in place in a time of war. HOA neighborhoods (I live in one) will be plunder targets for other scenarios. However, here is my idea of best bang for the buck. I'm under 5% over budget, but there are cheaper versions of a lot of things I listed that could easily achieve the $2k limit. All of this can easily fit in the back of a pickup, so if you're fleeing to rural family, it can easily loaded up with you. This is all assuming basic firearm and ammo needs are already taken care of. Going the cheapest route, A PSA rifle with sling, mags can be done for around $600, plus ammo. Add in a Dagger, pmags, holster and ammo, as well as mag carriers for the rifle and pistol, we are easily in the $1400 range for one setup without plates. Scenario 1-package up beans and rice in mylar and totes for long term storage (hopefully they like beans as rotating them will be essential after a couple years). Canned vegetables on sale. Pressure canner, lots of new jars/lids and then add meat, fruit and fresh veggies to can as it goes on sale or in season. Small solar charger for electronics, radios (both comms and broadcast), a family size gravity water filter, and some extra filters. Starting a garden can be laborious but seeds are cheap. Water sourcing will be tedious and labor intensive, depending on where you live Black beans-Sam's 12# for $11 x20 = $220 Rice- Sams 25# for $13 x20 = $260 Mylar-Amazon 110 1 gallon bags with O2 absorbers for $32 Totes- HD 27 gallon $9x20=$180 Misc canned fruits/veggie/tomatoes on sale to really stock pantry 200 cans at $1.10 average=$220 Water filter-Lifestraw Community with extra filter $500 10 Homer buckets with lids for water sourcing and storage -$70 Presto 23 qt pressure canner w/ extra seals amazon = $185 canning jars 10 flats various sizes Walmart- $15 avg x 10 = $150 Renology 200w portable solar panel Amazon $175 Emergency AM/FM/WX rechargeble radio Amazon= $45 Baofeng UV5R mini 2 pack Amazon-$38 Seeds-$20 Total-$2095 Scenario 2- Add some long term food storage. Water filtration and sourcing well power, solar for device charging and comms, garden of course Black beans-Sam's 12# for $11 x10 = $110 Rice- Sams 25# for $13 x10 = $130 Mylar-Amazon 110 1 gallon bags with O2 absorbers for $32 Totes- HD 27 gallon $9x10=$90 Water filter-Lifestraw Community with extra filter $500 Propane generator (preferably used) that will power well pump/spare carb, plugs,etc, propane tanks and hoses to fill pool- $900 going to have to look for deals on marketplace for this one Renology 200w portable solar panel Amazon $175 Emergency AM/FM/WX rechargeble radio Amazon= $45 Baofeng UV5R mini 2 pack Amazon-$38 Seeds-$20 Total-$2040 First off I would like to say thank you. This response was obviously thought out and you listed some pretty specific items and sources for them. And I do think both scenarios can work. Even with as small as the world is now, and even with the vulnerabilities we have, the likelihood of any force in the CONUS is slim to none. Random attacks, probably focus on infrastructure, and an increase in crime are the worst I think we can expect when it comes to that. The biggest goal of this is to sustain a family of 4 without having to rely on the .gov and to get through increased shortages with as little disruption as possible with the resources available. That being said a WW3 scenario will be worse than we have seen in our lifetimes, but nowhere near as impactful day to day like those in Europe or the Pacific Some great ideas and some small things I haven't thought of but could make a huge difference, for example baofeng radios for comms. |
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Originally Posted By 1775: First off I would like to say thank you. This response was obviously thought out and you listed some pretty specific items and sources for them. Some great ideas and some small things I haven't thought of but could make a huge difference, for example baofeng radios for comms. For someone like us in FL, and in a HOA community no less, retention ponds are everywhere, so water sourcing isn't nearly as difficult. Your irrigation well may be able to be fitted with a manual pump to avoid the generator expense in scenario 2. I know our well that we had in Jacksonville was very close to the surface where others reading this may need to pump it hundreds of feet up. |
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Originally Posted By R_S: For the normies, point them to https://www.ready.gov/ It provides the basics of building a 72 hour kit here For training, start here: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) There are plenty of people who were told to "buy a gun" who have zero knowledge of firearms, their use, or the will to use them. Guns are major assets for us, but for normies there is the potential to just be a liability. Probably best to have them do basic pistol training and/or LTC training before the non-gun people jump into firearms with both feet. No way in hell I would get CERT training. That’s a pool of people that can be pressed into service by the government under emergency orders. |
Never make another person a priority when they merely see you as an option...
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
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Originally Posted By R_S: As far as China invading Taiwan, China just lost the oil from Venezuela... and may soon be loosing the oil from Iran... Without that oil supply I am less worried that they will be able to launch a massive sea invasion of anywhere... but whatever it takes to get people to become an asset instead of a victim. That’s actually a good point. That might force them to act militarily in their interests…. If there is oil in Eastern Russia, I would be worried if I were Putin-China won’t fight Americans in Iran over it. |
Never make another person a priority when they merely see you as an option...
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
|
Originally Posted By JellyBelly: I think having stuff for a Victory Garden is probably the only real thing we could do. Unless war happens on American soil the only thing we can do to meaningfully control material shortages would be helping out food supply. Having a garden and keeping a garden while your neighbors are starving are two different things. Beans, rice, boullion, vegetable oil, canned meats etc are cheap right now…. Stack deep. Having enough to be fed isn’t the same thing as Having Enough And Not Being Hungry. |
Never make another person a priority when they merely see you as an option...
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
|
Originally Posted By 1775: I'd like to add here that my purpose is to narrow down where everyone would identify gaps and where they would recommend prioritizing filling thlse gaps in the 2 stated scenarios. Saying that you're too late, or that starting 30 years ago was ideal is not helpful. Not everyone is in their 50s or 60s who have had that amount of time, or the resources to do so. I work with many young people, me telling a 22 year old who is asking for advice "start in 1989" is not helpful. Everyone is at different points in their lives. Some may be starting out at the age you did, some may not have had the financial ability, some may just now be seeing a reason to. Thought exercises can help identify gaps or areas to adjust before something happens and the preps are needed and end up being insufficient. For scenario 1 I would recommend focusing on the foods they already eat. Create a deep pantry they can pull from and constantly rotate that. I would also recommend a deep freezer and buying some extra meat. A generator and fuel storage would also be needed but would probably start to push above that $2k budget. For scenario 2, which is a similar situation to where I am actually in in my actual preps, I would lean towards solar generator and portable panels. The biggest shortfall is the amount of food storage that relies on electricity. A solar solution would allow for that to run almost indefinitely and would also allow for other electronics to be charged, window ac unit ran, etc. Both scenario recommendations revolve around power and a large part of that is because of how integral it is to our daily lives and how vulnerable the grid is. Generator in 1 is limited by fuel and can be heard from miles away. However in the hurricane belt they are not out of the norm and the initial week wouldn't draw too much attention. I also don't think grid issued would be permanent but more of a intermittent or short term issue due to cyber and physical attacks. One area that I didn't recommend but am seriously considering is investing in a few months of freeze dried food. These would not be ideal but seem to be a great last case scenario insurance plan to prevent starvation. “A few months worth of freeze dried” costs a lot more than a home freeze drier that you can make food you actually like and take advantage of sales with.. |
Never make another person a priority when they merely see you as an option...
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
|
Originally Posted By John-in-austin: Well, your first mistake is relying on food storage that requires power. As has already been pointed out by others, power supplies are costly, require upkeep and attract attention. Smoke or can your meat supplies and vegetables. If you HAVE to have refrigeration, buy a propane model and run it off your main tank. I have a DC fridge at my cabin that will run on a 100w panel…. It doesn’t take much to have refrigeration after SHTF. |
Never make another person a priority when they merely see you as an option...
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
"Some People Are Like Slinkies. They're Not Really Good For Anything, But They Bring a Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs."
|
Originally Posted By 1775: And I do think both scenarios can work. Even with as small as the world is now, and even with the vulnerabilities we have, the likelihood of any force in the CONUS is slim to none. Random attacks, probably focus on infrastructure, and an increase in crime are the worst I think we can expect when it comes to that. The biggest goal of this is to sustain a family of 4 without having to rely on the .gov and to get through increased shortages with as little disruption as possible with the resources available. That being said a WW3 scenario will be worse than we have seen in our lifetimes, but nowhere near as impactful day to day like those in Europe or the Pacific The USA would absolutely be crippled by massive power generation and internet attack. China's navy may be lacking, but their cargo and tanker game is not. When you add in that they don't care if their troops make it back, it makes an invasion far more feasible. Ports and coastal cities are soft targets. Who knows, China's sleeper cells may already be here waiting for the signal to attack our grid. As I type this Verizon Wireless is experiencing nationwide outages. Hmmm. |
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Originally Posted By Brawndo: You are welcome. As far as source and specifics, a lot of people underestimate costs based on perceived pricing or older memories. The best exercise is to see what can actually be done today instead of just guessing or dreaming. For someone like us in FL, and in a HOA community no less, retention ponds are everywhere, so water sourcing isn't nearly as difficult. Your irrigation well may be able to be fitted with a manual pump to avoid the generator expense in scenario 2. I know our well that we had in Jacksonville was very close to the surface where others reading this may need to pump it hundreds of feet up. Until the local dumbf#@ks starting pooping and peeing in it. It's gonna happen... |
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In business since 1992- Over 30 Years in business- Thank you for your business!
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Originally Posted By Brawndo: The only way either of your scenarios works is if you have a short-term emergency or law and order/martial law is in place in a time of war. HOA neighborhoods (I live in one) will be plunder targets for other scenarios. However, here is my idea of best bang for the buck. I'm under 5% over budget, but there are cheaper versions of a lot of things I listed that could easily achieve the $2k limit. All of this can easily fit in the back of a pickup, so if you're fleeing to rural family, it can easily loaded up with you. This is all assuming basic firearm and ammo needs are already taken care of. Going the cheapest route, A PSA rifle with sling, mags can be done for around $600, plus ammo. Add in a Dagger, pmags, holster and ammo, as well as mag carriers for the rifle and pistol, we are easily in the $1400 range for one setup without plates. Scenario 1-package up beans and rice in mylar and totes for long term storage (hopefully they like beans as rotating them will be essential after a couple years). Canned vegetables on sale. Pressure canner, lots of new jars/lids and then add meat, fruit and fresh veggies to can as it goes on sale or in season. Small solar charger for electronics, radios (both comms and broadcast), a family size gravity water filter, and some extra filters. Starting a garden can be laborious but seeds are cheap. Water sourcing will be tedious and labor intensive, depending on where you live Black beans-Sam's 12# for $11 x20 = $220 Rice- Sams 25# for $13 x20 = $260 Mylar-Amazon 110 1 gallon bags with O2 absorbers for $32 Totes- HD 27 gallon $9x20=$180 Misc canned fruits/veggie/tomatoes on sale to really stock pantry 200 cans at $1.10 average=$220 Water filter-Lifestraw Community with extra filter $500 10 Homer buckets with lids for water sourcing and storage -$70 Presto 23 qt pressure canner w/ extra seals amazon = $185 canning jars 10 flats various sizes Walmart- $15 avg x 10 = $150 Renology 200w portable solar panel Amazon $175 Emergency AM/FM/WX rechargeble radio Amazon= $45 Baofeng UV5R mini 2 pack Amazon-$38 Seeds-$20 Total-$2095 Scenario 2- Add some long term food storage. Water filtration and sourcing well power, solar for device charging and comms, garden of course Black beans-Sam's 12# for $11 x10 = $110 Rice- Sams 25# for $13 x10 = $130 Mylar-Amazon 110 1 gallon bags with O2 absorbers for $32 Totes- HD 27 gallon $9x10=$90 Water filter-Lifestraw Community with extra filter $500 Propane generator (preferably used) that will power well pump/spare carb, plugs,etc, propane tanks and hoses to fill pool- $900 going to have to look for deals on marketplace for this one Renology 200w portable solar panel Amazon $175 Emergency AM/FM/WX rechargeble radio Amazon= $45 Baofeng UV5R mini 2 pack Amazon-$38 Seeds-$20 Total-$2040 I would drop the beans and go with Lentils instead (no soaking required, so less water used). I've used Azure Standard to buy them at fairly cheap prices. https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/category/food/beans-peas/lentils/28415 |
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Originally Posted By Brawndo: I disagree. . China and the USA will be the main theatres for the next war. Probably one in Europe as we will be too occupied to help. India and Pakistan will try to annihilate each other too. The USA would absolutely be crippled by massive power generation and internet attack. China's navy may be lacking, but their cargo and tanker game is not. When you add in that they don't care if their troops make it back, it makes an invasion far more feasible. Ports and coastal cities are soft targets. Who knows, China's sleeper cells may already be here waiting for the signal to attack our grid. As I type this Verizon Wireless is experiencing nationwide outages. Hmmm. China imports about 75% of their oil. A huge chunk of their oil comes through the Straits of Malacca. A few US Navy ships and that flow stops. Some oil comes from Venezuela. Well that flow can now be easily stopped if war breaks out. China gets somewhere around 20% of their oil via pipeline from Russia. So, war breaks out with China we blockade the Straits of Malacca and stop Venezuela oil. A short time later China folds. Can China cause a lot of problems? Sure. If they do, we blockade them and China as we know it ceases to exist a short time later. China's surface navy isn't nuclear. So, they are totally dependent on oil to run the majority of their navy. China has very little oil of their own to extract so they are extremely dependent on imported oil. China also has very poor growing soil (compared to parts of the farmland in the US or farmland in countries like Ukraine). That makes China dependent on food imports. Food and oil is China’s greatest weakness. Lack of people may become their next one as their population ages and dies off. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
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Originally Posted By TheOtherDave: Having a garden and keeping a garden while your neighbors are starving are two different things. Beans, rice, boullion, vegetable oil, canned meats etc are cheap right now…. Stack deep. Having enough to be fed isn’t the same thing as Having Enough And Not Being Hungry. Originally Posted By TheOtherDave: Originally Posted By JellyBelly: I think having stuff for a Victory Garden is probably the only real thing we could do. Unless war happens on American soil the only thing we can do to meaningfully control material shortages would be helping out food supply. Having a garden and keeping a garden while your neighbors are starving are two different things. Beans, rice, boullion, vegetable oil, canned meats etc are cheap right now…. Stack deep. Having enough to be fed isn’t the same thing as Having Enough And Not Being Hungry. Having a garden with starving neighbors might be the easiest way to help you neighbors without pulling into your preps. You can create new plants through propagation and help feed them as well through them now maintaining their own garden |
WW3 is imminent, where to begin prepping? (Page 1 of 3)
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