My pleasure! It’s a good subject to discuss because there are so many aspects to it, and so many useful things for people to contribute.
Just this evening I was talking with my neighbor, who I have been trying for months to engage in the subject of preparedness. I even told him that come thick or thin, I have his back and he has mine.
He is still convinced he is going to “head for the hills” and “live off the land”. I think he’s fooling himself but I cannot change his mind.
You need a minimum of 2500 calories (or more) a day to survive depending on your circumstances, and considering that the average squirrel is good for about 400 calories, it kind of limits your daily nutritional choices. Yah, you can shoot a deer and try and dry some meat over your campfire, but I’d rather be doing it in the good dehydrator we got (at a discount) and packing it up beforehand in vacume sealed bags that will keep for years without the danger of botulism killing my family.
I also look to stock barter goods, and that can be anything useful from a package of lighters from Costo to the half gallons of sour Mash whiskey and 190 proof grain alcohol we have stashed away. The alcohol is medicinal, antiseptic, anesthetic (in a real pinch) and great for barter. I figure my grandson won’t mind cleaning out that particular locker out in the garage some day...
Another item that goes along with the barrels is either a stock of cheap chlorine bleach or swimming pool chlorinating chemicals. Also you need to make some kind of provisions for emergency filtration of the barrel water, before you boil it for 20 minutes, and then chlorinate it for storage...there are specific sanitary necessities here, so it is best to be informed before you contract typhus or breed mosquitoes in your drinking water supply.
I pray we never need any of this stuff, but in reality it will all come in useful at some point. If I died tomorrow, someone else could still use my supplies, so I feel fine about being prepared. But these days I think there are a lot of very good reasons to be prepared, and that’s a good thing.
Again, understand that my basic survival philosophy revolves around the premise that I will not be forced to evacuate my present location no matter what. That plays a big part in what plans I make and whether I make a stand or run like hell; and your plans may or may not be congruent with mine.
No one will be able to live off the land, tell your friend that he needs to think this through.....
His plan could be fatal.