Although there's nothing wrong with that if it's what you prefer.
I'm no expert, but I'm willing to share what I know and hope you'll do the same.
As you stockpile food in case of supply chain problems, remember that if you or your family won't eat it, it's not a great thing to stockpile.
All the freeze-dried, nitrogen packed food in the world won't do you any good if it's not something you're willing to eat.
Sure, if you get hungry enough you'll eat it. "Hunger is the best seasoning." But imagine trying to feed a picky eater stuff she doesn't want to eat. Do you need that added stress in an already stressful situation?
Before trouble hits, taste test what you plan to stockpile. And get foods you normally eat, which will store long-term, to have on hand. Most canned foods, if kept cool-ish, will last for years past their "best by" date. Dried stuff will last for years if you keep it dry and keep pests out of it.
I would suggest you learn to garden and stockpile seeds. Make sure the seeds you stockpile will also produce seeds that are true to what you planted. Not all do in this hybridized world. Heirloom seeds can prevent this, but you can also experiment as you go, saving seeds from this year's crop for next year. Save the seeds that work, change what you plant if it doesn't.
Learn what edible plants grow naturally in your area, and notice what wildlife might be hunted nearby in an emergency situation. In a bad enough situation, you won't be worrying about game laws, but will do what you need to.
You may need to find creative ways to stockpile food. Be sure to rotate cans as you use them-- use older stuff first.
I have an old entertainment center made for an old-style TV. It is really deep, tall, and fairly wide. Bought at a second-hand thrift store. I put more shelves where the TV went. I filled the drawers with spices and other stuff. It makes a great second pantry, holding almost as much as the main pantry in the kitchen.
I also store canned food in my cellar-- which gets too warm in summer to be an ideal place, but I'm working on fixing that issue.
You might also use boxes under beds or other furniture. Don't forget to rotate your supplies!
Stockpiling food also helps if you lose your job, have an unexpected expense, or are cooking something and realize you're missing an ingredient and the stores are closed for the night. Just remember to restock whatever you use at your first opportunity!
If you go hungry in a SHTF situation it's because you didn't plan well today. Don't let this happen!
Situational awareness is something we could all do better.
The sooner you are aware of the situations unfolding around you, the more time you have to decide whether to intervene or escape.
I say "situations", plural, because there's never only one situation happening near you.
Even if a person comes into a place where you are, intending to be a mass shooter, there are other situations going on. You should be aware of them, too.
Other people may be noticing. Some people may be oblivious and heading into extreme danger. Others may be preparing to address the danger. Would it be better for you to intervene or does someone else already have a handle on it? Would you be helpful or get in their way? Would it be better for you to slip out the side door, or to be the one to take on the responsibility? Every situation is going to be different.
You need to be aware of all these situations, even though it is probably not humanly possible. Tunnel vision will be working against you.
The more ...
The "officials" kept spinning dire warnings about the water situation, so I took it upon myself to do a daily visual check of the water levels in the water tanks I could check. Three out of four have a gauge on the outside. The fourth is a water sphere that, as far as I can tell, has no way for a member of the public to check the water levels. This is disturbing.
What my visual check showed me was that we're in better shape than the "officials" wanted us to believe.
I've been posting photos of the gauges every day on social media, and suddenly, at least the newspaper editor, who is very much in the pockets of the local politicians, admitted that the tanks are nearly full.
I'm not sure he would have admitted this without my intervention, but perhaps.
I also wrote a letter to the editor, which got a lot of pre-publication pushback from the editor. He has his preferred solution, which just so happens to align with the local politicians. He didn't like what I said and tried to make me feel ...
My local town (population ~1400) is in a water crisis. It's always having a low-grade water crisis, but this time, government incompetence brought it to a head.
The guy who visually checks the water levels daily was on vacation. The sensor that keeps the water towers full stopped working. One tower was empty, and the other was half empty before anyone noticed. Now it's everyone's problem.
Consequently, we're under some pretty harsh water restrictions- and they've been getting more severe each day for the past 3 days.
Fortunately, I have quite a bit of water stored. As much as I can fit in the nooks and crannies of my house, anyway. Just last week I got fussed at for doing this. That tune changed quickly.
I've also stocked up on bottled water.
I would catch rainwater, but a lack thereof is the root of the problem.
I wish I lived near a water source, but there are none in this region. I wish I had a well, but of course that would be "illegal" in town. I wish I had a long-term ...
