Also, if you’re a dentist by trade you’d be better off as a prostitute. (Literally as per the article.)

To add to this, I also say come up with a plan to use your stockpile so that it doesn’t just sit on the shelf for decades. Replenish what you use as you use it so that you discover that it expired long before you needed it.

I’ve also heard the recommendation for keeping a stash of simple grains and beans on hand with the intent of sharing every once and while during a crises. People are going to realize that you have a supply eventually, but if you convince them that all you have is meager offerings, the desperate are more likely to raid elsewhere for a better meal.

Oh, and I wouldn’t rely on a rain barrel without some form of filtration. There’s a bit of microplastic in every drop!

Yeah, I get the appeal in fiction. But raiders are either going to filter themselves out through combat losses, or wind up establishing themselves as governments. Having some personal defense is probably a good idea, but it will probably be more valuable for hunting than anything else. At the most, a good shotgun, and some gear to press shells would probably be a good idea, but finding powder after the initial looting might be a pain. But I suppose if someone is going to stockpile a literal ton of food they could probably also store a pile of modern smokeless powder and a bunch of saltpeter and sulfur for making black powder afterward.

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