What we have just seen is the basics that you need to survive and event and the chaos that it has caused. You have identified what you need to keep fed and have planted out what will feed you in the future. Your food and water supply is assured, or is it?
You can’t be certain of anything. Everything from a bad harvest or disease could destroy your crop. There is still the possibility of scavengers as well. As you have to ensure that you not only put food on the table now but put aside food to keep you through the lean periods. You should also consider that you could have a bad harvest and thus a good year may have to keep you fed for nearly two years.
That is going to be difficult. Even with preserving by the time you get to the end things are going to be tight and a second bad harvest would spell disaster. As it does now in some parts of the world. Sometime there is only so much you can do.
The solution is not to just rely on seeds and plants to feed yourself. You have to utilise natures full bounty which includes the animal life. You should consider trapping and hunting to supplement your food and, where possible, animal husbandry. Set up and keep your own livestock.
Livestock doesn’t have to be chickens, sheep, cows or pigs, although there are all recognised livestock types. You have to consider how you are going to acquire these animals. If you are out in the country and out of the way you could keep most, if not all, of these animals by purchasing them now. If you live in a flat in the suburbs it becomes more of a problem but is not impossible. Small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs can be kept, they won’t take up much space, eat much or betray your position with noise. They can graze on grass and just picked up when one is needed for consumption. There are other examples of this.
Additionally, fish are an option. There are tanks out there to grow your fish that don’t look like fish tanks. If you can keep them hidden then that would be a valuable resource.
Not everyone though is going to have the capability of raising their own food. That just leaves hunting and seeing as every man and his dog will be out there during the year after an event there is a good chance there will be few wild animals around for a while. So if this is your plan you had better be living near to a large forest or the sea where you will have a better chance of catching something.
Of course after an event all the laws about fishing and hunting will be gone so there will be nothing to stop you using nets and bows and arrow to hunt. If you have air rifles, shotguns or a firearm then you have different options. You have consider your own situation.
Near a sea or a river, then make sure you have fishing gear, especially nets, traps for crustaceans and the multiple fishing line sets. Fishing rods are not going to get the same catch as setting traps and leaving them.
Near a forest or fields. Then make sure you have snares and traps. Set up some deadfall traps if you can. Again lying in wait isn’t as efficient as setting traps.
The beauty of traps is that you set them and forget them. Revisit and claim your catch, resetting the traps on a frequent basis. Much more productive than sitting with a fishing rod or an air rifle. This is how to guarantee your long term food source. Growing your own, keeping your own livestock and hunting and trapping wild animals.
This gives you a list of what you need to put aside to enable this. Start stocking up and add to your stores when you are happy with your critical preps.
- Lots more seeds to cover losses
- Livestock
- Traps, Nets
- Hunting gear, rifles, bows, etc.
Sort out what is suitable for your circumstances.