Ever since the release of my post-apocalyptic book, my Facebook messenger has been going nuts with people wanting to know how they can increase their preparations for a SHTF scenario like my characters face in “Three Days to Eden.”
I’ve been honored to visit many people’s homesteads or bug-out locations in the southeastern United States and each time is an eye opening experience for me. I approach the visit the same each time. First, I look at the essentials of survival water, food, shelter and security and critique how long I think the group will last based on the resources they have on hand and how able they are to protect their resources.
Water is the simplest to critique. You either have it, or you don’t. If you don’t have enough on hand, do you have the ability to harvest it without adding any risk to your group? If you have a well that is powered, then do you have the means to collect water through your system manually? Do you have a way to sanitize your drinking water?
Food is where I find most groups are seriously lacking. Here in Florida, most people in my circle of friends easily keep two to three weeks of food on hand because of the likelihood of seasonal storms, which can knock out the power grid for weeks at a time. So when it comes to food, I don’t look at how many meals a person has on hand but rather how many calories they have available.
My baseline for caloric intake for a prolonged SHTF scenario is twenty-five hundred calories per person per day. That may seem like a lot to some people, but remember that during stressful times you will be using more calories than you usually would. Days are going to be longer, and work is going to be more challenging. Every aspect of survival, whether it be collecting water, starting a cooking fire, or providing security, will take a higher caloric toll than you are used to spending. The days of jumping into your car and going to the grocery store will be gone within the first week of a grid-down scenario. Instead, you will have to work for your food.
Varying your food stores will be equally as crucial as having a large bulk of food. I tend to avoid strictly stockpiling freeze-dried food; instead, I use a multi-faceted approach. Canned goods will last longer than the recommended use-by date, so everyone should have an ample supply of canned goods.
Proteins proved hard to store until the glorious day I discovered pressure canning. Pressure canned proteins and vegetables are shelf-stable, without refrigeration, for many years. If you have not incorporated pressure canning into your preparations plan, you are behind the eight ball.
I round out my food preps with homemade freeze-dried meals. Buying a residential freeze dryer is an expensive investment but one I have found more economical than purchasing bulk freeze-dried meals. Why? If you remember that I base my plan on calories rather than suggested serving sizes by the commercial freeze-dried company, you’ll see that things aren’t always as they appear. For example, when I look at one of my favorite commercial-made freeze-dried meals, it is easy to see how I can save by simply making my beef stroganoff and freeze-drying it at home.
At the time of this publication, one serving of beef stroganoff from a well-known company cost around nine dollars. That doesn’t sound bad or a meal but let’s take a look at the calories (Below). Now using my harvest right freeze-dryer, I can make the same meal which, in my opinion, tastes better and has a higher calorie per serving for around three dollars per serving.
Finally, I rely heavily on vacuum sealing sugar, rice, flour, salt and other staples which do not need refrigeration to remain stable, as long as it’s not in direct sunlight or very warm conditions, for a very long time.
Shelter is self-explanatory. You need something to keep you out of the elements, but I recommend temporary backup shelters like tents and even trailered tiny homes, whether homeade or recreational vehicles.
I break down Security into three facets: location, hardware, and personnel. First, is your site suitable for long-term survival without having to fight off beggars or raiders daily? Do you have enough weaponry to fend off potential attacks on your assets? Once word gets out that you have food, people will seek out your group and some of them will have ill intentions when they come. There are groups that are formed specifically to raid instead of preparing for themselves. I know you’ve heard people say, “When the crap hits the fan, I’m just going to take what I need. Why spend money on food when all I need is bullets?” I know I have.
In additional weaponry, do you have the manpower and training to use what you have? You will eventually need to sleep, garden, collect water and forage for food. So, I recommend having a dedicated security team. However every member of your group should be proficient with firearms and have a general knowledge of small unit tactics (SUT).
The type of weapons to have on hand is up to your individual skill set however I do recommend that you standardize your loadouts. No need to be “tacticool” here. I prefer all my handguns be of the 9mm variety. Rifles are either .223/5.56 or 7.62×39 and Long Guns are either .308 or 30-06, Shotguns are 12 gauge, and an extra 22 Long rifle is always handy to keep at the bug out location. In addition to my standard “buy-in” requirements every member of my group must have a thousand rounds of each caliber per person at a minimum. Yes that even includes children old enough to shoot.
Like the title says these are just the basics. Preparedness, in totality, encompasses a broad spectrum of needs to make it somewhat comfortable to survive. I hope this helps you to get started. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions are feel the need to have our professional staff lend a helping hand.
-Tooch
Faith-Family-Country
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