Those that know me know that my proselytization of strategic and tactical bunkering borders on obsession. I can't help it - it is that important. Americans are for the most part unprepared for unexpected events. We don't save enough, many don't have the right kind or quantity of insurance and the vast majority have very little if any food and water stored up in case of an emergency.
Maybe the reason so many of us are unprepared is our history. Other than 9/11, we have not had recent attacks on CONUS (Continental Untied States). We are not accustom to being without. Most folks that went though the shortages of the Depression are no longer with us. My parents after they retired became "Euro shoppers" - in other words, as in Europe, if you needed something for supper, you went down to the daily market to buy it. My Dad would go to either Rainbow or Kowolski's two or three times a week to pick up small quantities of items. Many working families do shopping once a week to get what they need for the upcoming week's meals.
I could name dozens of man made or natural events that could happen to our country that would pertubate our distribution system of food and utilities. However, there are probably many more things I have not even thought of that could do some damage. Think of it this way - if something unexpected and catastrophic happened tomorrow, most grocery stores would be out of everything the day after. Stores, like most businesses today operate on what is called JIT (Just In Time) inventory. In other words, most stores don't carry much - too expensive. So if you were out of water, and could somehow get to a store, and they too were out of water, what would you do?
Bunker Up! That should be the calling card for every family in America. To have at least thirty (30) days of provisions (as a minimum) makes nothing by good, common sense. In a time of emergency, your bunker will become your store. In a time of prolonged emergency, your bunker will also become your life boat. As chance favors the prepared mind, chance will also favor the prepared family.
Now before eyes start rolling backwards let me first explain there is a big difference between a survivalist and establishing a simple bunker system. Not that I have anything against survivalists, they might end up being the smartest of us all. A bunker system is specifically set up for a temporary disruption of our supply system that would prohibit you from getting food and staple items from anywhere else. Temporary, not permanent.
So how to do it - where to start. First off, relax - it is much easier than you might think. In fact most houses already have the start of a bunker. Bunkers are broken down into two categories - tactical (any food item with a shelf life of a year or less) and strategic (food items with a shelf life of over one year). Many houses have a pantry, and in that pantry are many food items with a shelf life of less than a year. In addition, many houses also have a freezer containing frozen meats and veggies. Assuming the power stays on, that too could be considered to be tactical. So long as the pantry stays stocked up and the freshness and expiration dates are known so stock can be rotated, tactical bunkers are just fine.
However, in a worst case scenario, you must also consider a strategic bunker. In particular, potable water. If there was a pandemic, a EMP event, massive social unrest, war, you name it, help could be many months away. When Hurricane Katina hit New Orleans, we were prepared - we were prepared for a direct hit on the city. FEMA had prepositioned emergency supplies to move in quickly once the storm had past. What was not prepared for however, was what actually happened. The storm surge hit east of town and defeated the antiquated levy system. The rest is history. Almost 2,000 died, thousands more suffered and huge sections of the City of New Orleans lay in ruin. Federal, State and Local governments were tripping over each other, doing little, blaming each other, and people continued to suffer. The distribution system along that portion of the Gulf Coast was down for weeks, some areas months. Many people stranded by the storm had nothing, and nothing was coming.
There were many lessons learned from Katrina, but my biggest take away was this - in a worst case scenario, government assets will be overwhelmed or inefficient. You must rely on yourself to survive. I believe no matter how bad the event, our government will eventually be able to help it's citizens. However, in the time it takes for that to happen, people who are not prepared will suffer and/of die. Remember, you will live less than a week without water; less than a month without food.
In your tactical bunker, it is food as usual - it is the stuff you like to and are use to eating. In your strategic bunker it is food to keep you alive. First off, plan to have enough water safely stored to last at least 30 days. If the emergency lasts longer than 30 days, have a basic water purification system on hand. Purified water may not taste as good as bottled water, but it beats the alternative. Next, do you homework and find on which foods last the longest and how to properly store them. The internet is bulging with good, valid information on this topic. Rices and dried beans top the list. Stored properly, they will last just about forever and have enough nutrition to keep you alive. If you are in survival mode, you are most likely not going to be eating a balanced diet - you will be eating to stay alive. Like I said, I am not an expert on this, but I am learning all the time. It seems like every month there is another book on Amazon or more sites on the internet. Do your homework, use common sense. Do what works for your family.
A few final points. Don't forget items such as toilet paper, paper plates, plastic silverware, soap, toothpaste, and so on. If the distribution system is not working, your bunker becomes your Target or Wal Mart. Also don't forget about your pets. Have some extra food set aside for them. If you don't want to see your pets suffer or die, please keep them in mind. Finally, have some cash on hand. If the banks are down for any reason, it would be good to have quick access to money once you are able to use it.
There it is, a thumbnail sketch on how I look at bunkering. Bunkering is not an exact science, it is a work in progress. Every month I look at our bunker and try to make it better, more efficient. Keep what needs to be kept, get rid of what just takes up space. The one item you cannot store enough of is potable water. If you remember nothing else from this posting, please remember this - in an emergency, the government might not be there to help and your bunker will be your store and maybe even your life boat. Bunker Up and Live!
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