Your Post Apocalyptic Shopping List

[Zardnaar]

The funny thing is my bro works in IT... They don't get cell reception or internet there, so he basically had to build his own cell/internet tower on top of his mountain and run cables for a couple hundred yards to his house. I believe he's providing internet service to two of his neighbors as well, lol.
He's really rocking the whole high-tech redneck thing these days.

Could be useful after the apocalypse along with coal.

 

[RareBreed]

I have always thought prepper stuff seemed too immediate focused. Like a bug out bag that you need for your immediate survival for the next 3 days. It sounds "fun" for gaming, but it's also not realistic.

Beyond the immediate 3 days, you better have a source of food. And I don't mean foraging for MRE's or going all hunter-gatherer. One of the first things I would do is start gardening. That implies I need lots of people. People to farm and people to defend it. How do you do that? By hopefully finding some people you can trust.

Farming land is a precious commodity. It needs to have a steady supply of water which hopefully doesn't flood easily and doesn't suffer from droughts. An underground spring would be ideal for this. Being easily defensible would be another boon.

You'll also need draft animals. Animals for transport, and animals to plow the land....because who knows how long the fuel will last, and I don't think we'll be getting electric harvesters or plows any time soon. Speaking of which, you might want to stock up on old school lanterns. If you can learn how to make rope, you can make wicks. Not to mention making ropes is really useful.

I would also stock up on books about herbal lore so you can craft the best medicine you can. Books on farming, animal husbandry, textiles and pretty much anything 19th century you can get your hands on.

The great irony is my mom grew up in a household without electricity, AC, hot water or indoor plumbing. She grew up on a farm where they used water buffalo to plow the dry land for the rice, and my lolo (grandfather) built his house with his own hands using hand tools. My mom has survival skills I can't even comprehend, though admittedly, they are more in line for a jungle environment (she's from the Philippines).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I have always thought prepper stuff seemed too immediate focused. Like a bug out bag that you need for your immediate survival for the next 3 days. It sounds "fun" for gaming, but it's also not realistic.

Beyond the immediate 3 days, you better have a source of food. And I don't mean foraging for MRE's or going all hunter-gatherer. One of the first things I would do is start gardening. That implies I need lots of people. People to farm and people to defend it. How do you do that? By hopefully finding some people you can trust.

Farming land is a precious commodity. It needs to have a steady supply of water which hopefully doesn't flood easily and doesn't suffer from droughts. An underground spring would be ideal for this. Being easily defensible would be another boon.

You'll also need draft animals. Animals for transport, and animals to plow the land....because who knows how long the fuel will last, and I don't think we'll be getting electric harvesters or plows any time soon. Speaking of which, you might want to stock up on old school lanterns. If you can learn how to make rope, you can make wicks. Not to mention making ropes is really useful.

I would also stock up on books about herbal lore so you can craft the best medicine you can. Books on farming, animal husbandry, textiles and pretty much anything 19th century you can get your hands on.

The great irony is my mom grew up in a household without electricity, AC, hot water or indoor plumbing. She grew up on a farm where they used water buffalo to plow the dry land for the rice, and my lolo (grandfather) built his house with his own hands using hand tools. My mom has survival skills I can't even comprehend, though admittedly, they are more in line for a jungle environment (she's from the Philippines).

One of my big complaints about post-apocalypse stuff is that it's largely written by misanthropic city folks who don't realize that going at it alone after the apocalypse is one of the most dangerous things you can do. More people mean more security, in every sense, including food security, which matters immediately and never stops mattering.

 

[Zardnaar]

One of my big complaints about post-apocalypse stuff is that it's largely written by misanthropic city folks who don't realize that going at it alone after the apocalypse is one of the most dangerous things you can do. More people mean more security, in every sense, including food security, which matters immediately and never stops mattering.

Well I think that's the idea of the guns and bunker full of food.

I don't think the bug out bag is for the apocalypse more social disturbance or natural disaster.

Live near an old Pa. Go full tribal!!

Pā - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well I think that's the idea of the guns and bunker full of food.

A bunker full of food will run out long before your local supermarket is back up and running.

 

[Zardnaar]

A bunker full of food will run out long before your local supermarket is back up and running.

Depends how big the bunker is. After apocalypse there is no supermarket.

Got bored in Covid watched some prepper videos. One had 5 years supply of food.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Depends how big the bunker is. After apocalypse there is no supermarket.

Got bored in Covid watched some prepper videos. One had 5 years supply of food.

Right, so, back to my original point: At some point, you're going to run out of food, unless you only intend to survive for five years.

 

[Zardnaar]

Right, so, back to my original point: At some point, you're going to run out of food, unless you only intend to survive for five years.

I think the idea is most people starve and once the chaos, pillaging etc stop the survivors rebuild.

Isn't there prepper communities as well now? That old air force base with the hardened hangers turned into shelters?

 

[Ryujin]

One of my big complaints about post-apocalypse stuff is that it's largely written by misanthropic city folks who don't realize that going at it alone after the apocalypse is one of the most dangerous things you can do. More people mean more security, in every sense, including food security, which matters immediately and never stops mattering.

Also, most of the post apocalyptic stuff assumes that the vast majority of people die off incredibly quickly. It doesn't consider what would happen if civilization just ended, with most of the people still alive. No grazing in empty supermarkets. The cities would spit out vast numbers of people, who are unable to look after themselves, and would strip the land like locusts.

 

[John R Davis]

With lots of death there will be loads energy to go around from wind and solar
Should be a lovely time PA