The best magazine
- 1). People may think you are a little crazy for being prepared for the next disaster, but keep in mind the people who begin preparatons after an event such as war or economic collapse, for them it is simply too late. Within 24 hours of panic, there will not be enough societal order to protect the society from themselves. This means gas stations could be dry, food shelves empty, and pharmacies empty - whether by panic purchasing or through looting. So, protect your family and make modest preparations, and best not to tell anyone of your post-disaster preparations.
- 2
Weimar Republic Hyper-Inflation
History is replete of examples where currency becomes worthless and people begin trading in commodities. For example, the Weimar Republic in Germany in the 1920s printed money at such an alarming pace that the currency was worthless. Germans began trading in food and other necessities to survive. Even without a nuclear exchange, conventional war, or a serious terrorist attack, it is possible for economic conditions to deteriorate to the extent that currencies become worthless. - 3). When hyper-inflation hits, which means our money will be worth very little, using gold to conduct trading for goods and services will likely be the preferred transactional currency. However, gold is quite expensive now and may be difficult to acquire enough to make a difference, but nevertheless, it is wise to have a little on hand. When commerce grinds to a halt, food, medicine, and other survival essentials could be used to trade for gold however. And the great news is that you can use your survival stores.
- 4
Costco Emergency Food Kit
The types of food to store will vary depending upon your storage capability. For a quick and easy food store, Costco sells a 280 meal sealed bucket of food that lasts for 20 years. It is vegetarian and only requires hot water to prepare the packet and costs roughly $79. You can also purchase large bags of rice to store in a USDA approved plastic sealable container. There are a variety of canned foods that have a shelf life of three years. As long as you rotate these canned goods into your daily family food plan, the food will never spoil. Other food items that you can store: dried fruit, canned fruit, canned meat, canned tuna, canned salmon, canned vegetables, water, and powdered milk. It is advisable to conduct an inventory of your food stores periodically to check the expiration dates and rotate food if necessary. - 5). There are other items that while useful also will be quite valuable during post disaster. Depending on the type of disaster, some items may be more valuable. For example, Iodine tablets will be invaluable during a nuclear fallout as will any nuclear biological, chemical (NBC) protection devices such as masks with filters and NBC suits. Other post-disaster commodities of high value will be alcohol (yep, people will still drink and people who never did might want to start), over the counter and prescription drugs (I am not advocating storing prescription drugs), most commonly used ammunition and weapons (society without a dependable order will necessitate personal protection), gasoline (be advised that storing gasoline is dangerous and I am not advising you to store it), Kerosene (heat will mean the difference between life and death in areas without electricity or natural gas).
In short, you need to think of scenarios that may increase the value of commodities in a post-disaster environment. Life will go on, kids will get sick, family members might be injured, and your septic tank will still need maintenance, which means you will need to be in a position of power to barter for services. - 6). A prepared but measured approach would be to store 6 months of food (a bare minimum of caloric intake) for your family- both for sustenance and a trading commodity. You don't have to go all out "Y2K" on your family but simple preparations can ensure that you survive in a post-disaster and that you can participate in a bartering economy.
Source: ...