Apocalypse tips

First food.

I recommend dry seeds, mainly hard red wheat, lentils, pinto beans, black beans, and rice. Walmart will deliver you 26pounds of hard wheat in a 30yr safe bucket for about $15, that's nearly as cheap as rice. 25 pounds of flour goes for under $9. Lentils are best gotten off the shelf, but beans can be delivered too. For $50 you can get enough food to last a few months if needed, and optimized with lots of sprouting, you can stretch it to 6 months or more.

These will take you a long way all on their own and don't require a crazy amount of prep. Plus, if the s hit the fan, seeds can be planted and turned into a crop, something you can't do with MRE style foods.

Bulk flour is always good to have on hand too. Bake a loaf and eat for days, no cooking required.

You can easily make vacuum bags for long storage (5yrs) with any average cleaner and a plastic trash bag. Fill it with dry food, suck out the air, twist and tie the end, double bag, and put away in a box to keep it from mice, but its preferred that you use the food as food once a year anyway.

Cooking can become a problem if you lose power.

I keep oil lamps on hand for those occasions. Most ovens will let you put the lamp down low by the element and still put a pot or a pan on the top rack above it. Use foil to make a 'cup' (like an upside down pot) that reaches from a few inches above the flame to the undeside of the rack. This will trap the heat and focus it onto the pot and speed up cooking. Keep a fire extinguisher, a bucket of water, wet blankets, or something handy when using lamps to cook. Fire can go wrong fast, but having it inside the oven will help contain anything that goes wrong. Use oil lamp for cooking inside, if you have it, because kerosene has a smell. Keep a window cracked open, if possible, for fresh air.

Oil lamps are very handy to have around for cooking, but even making a bowl of rice will take you an hour, they cook slow. Remember to cover your pots with a lid to trap in heat. I've increased cooking speed by using coathangers to hold a bag over the pot like a ten gallon hat.

Lentils and wheat sprouts can not only count as fresh vegies, they can also be eaten raw, no cooking. But NEVER eat sprouted beans raw, it'll make you sick (cooked is just fine though).

A lot of people will suggest lots of ammo for firearms, but that's very pricy today. Some suggest getting into reloading, but that's not cheap either. Muzzle loaders are just as lethal for hunting, and you essentially get to shoot at the price of reloads. With lots of improvising you can make your own ammo and powder... indefinately.

Crossbows and arrows are another way and can take down anything up to a deer with a high reusability rate and no added expense. Remember, arrows don't last forever and tips get damaged. Don't overlook BB guns that are more than powerful enough to take down birds, squirrels, and rabbits, you can pick up thousands of BBs and a rifle for under $50.

This last piece of advice is perhaps the most useful, and that's to have a sleeping bag, even if its a cheap one. If you lose power, you lose heat, but a sleeping bag will keep you warm no matter what. Its better than being well stocked with firewood and costs less than $20 every spring... when its out of season. Rope and plastic sheating can be used as a tent or a way to collect rain water.

Solar isn't good for much, but it will put a charge on your cellphone, and a lens will start a fire.

Having a bike and camping supplies handy isn't a bad idea either. A shovel can be invaluable. Ivory bar soap keeps well and can be used for shampoo.