There is no doubt that the state of the economy has been continuously getting worse, especially during the past few weeks. If the economy collapses, you can go without almost anything but food and water. The truth is that you will be able to survive for three days without consuming any water before your body begins breaking down.

Dehydration usually starts only after one day so you can imagine what the state of your body will be like after three or four days. If you have family or people to take care of, then this is just going to make things even worse for you and this is why it is essential that you’re prepared. I wouldn’t say that it is “never too late” to prepare for potential disaster because, obviously, the numerous economic and social catastrophes of the past have proven otherwise. There simply comes a point in time in which the ignorant and presumptive are indeed officially screwed. I will say that we have not quite come to that point yet here in the U.S., but the window of opportunity for preparation is growing very narrow.

That’s right. And if you think about it – as in, critical thinking, – you will (should) realize the utter devastation that will surely result when the unthinkable happens… a SHTF collapse of our food supply which will kill multi-millions of you. I only say ‘you’ in reference to the general population. Hopefully ‘you’ reading this are already prepared to some extent, where as those who are not – will be facing near certain death.

Let me explain…

I can’t explain why, but for some reason I am able to clearly see many of the systemic risks within our modern way of life. Perhaps it’s simply because I am not a major sufferer of ‘normalcy bias’ and do not accept that any or all of these systems will remain functional forever. Maybe it’s because I do not automatically accept the ‘status quo’. Instead I know that things do change, and sometimes very rapidly for the worse…

I’m sure that many of you too have the uncanny ability to recognize risk – especially those risks which could devolve and ‘domino’ into catastrophic life-altering results… even those which could potentially kill off many, many, millions of us. It has happened before. Why should it not happen again? Particularly in today’s modern era where most people literally depend on many various external systems to keep them alive.

People assume that there will always be food in the grocery stores. People assume that there will always be electricity (and most people have no idea the horrible ramifications of life without electricity). People assume a-lot of things.

Instead of boring you with a supply list that you’re probably not going to understand that much, this article will teach you how to know your needs based on your nutritional and physical requirements.

The amount of water you require is based on many factors. However, the most important ones are your weight, the temperature, and the amount you sweat on a daily basis. A person living in the desert isn’t going to need the same amount of water of someone who lives in a cool zone for example. FEMA says you should have at least a three-day supply of water (I recommend you one month supply at least and the means to purify water for a longer period) and you should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.

I say that you should assess your situation, your surroundings (do you have access to other water sources than tap water?), the number of people you’re storing for, your risk tolerance threshold, your risk assessment of what might affect you, and decide for yourself how much you would like to store.

50 gallons would be just about enough for 2 people for a month. And that doesn’t count all the ‘gray water’ that you normally consume (washing, sanitation, etc…)

To stop the spread of unsanitary conditions or diseases, good hygiene is very important. Lucky for you, the water you require for consumption doesn’t necessarily need to be 100% drinkable. If you’re able to sanitize it to destroy any bugs or bacteria in it, then you’re on the safe side. Water that is non-potable is from rainwater or any fresh water sources. It is recommended that you avoid using saltwater though as it isn’t clean most of the time and can lead to numerous diseases. One of them is that the high levels of sodium can lead to endless health issues.

A city person would usually have about a week or two (tops) stock of food.  In fact, I really believe that it’s probably worse than that on average. Most of our population now lives in cities and suburbia. What do you think these people will do after not having eaten for 3 meals? One thing’s for sure, nearly ALL of them will have a priority to find some food! Now imagine 3 days without food? Now we’re talking about some serious hunger – which is something that most of us have not experienced before. What do you think will happen as a result? If there were to be a major food disruption in the United States (for example), my instinct tells me that we would suffer worse than a poor ‘3rd-world’ country. They’ve learned how to survive with little. These countries do not have the ‘hand-out’ social programs as in the US. Can you imagine today’s modern ‘ Facebook ’ generation (for example) having to figure out where to get their next meal?

Here’s a challenge for you… Without defaulting to the thought process that ‘it could never happen’ or without attempting to rationalize that there are no possible circumstances that could add up to such a disruption, just imagine ‘what if’ the grocery store shelves became ‘thin’ or empty… How much food do you think most average Americans have in their homes?

You’ve probably seen the chaos that takes place when a disaster is announced and the way unprepared individuals panic and rush to buy their supplies. If you already have the supplies, you won’t have to worry about this Instead of wasting precious time buying supplies, you could be handling other important details.

Now, why do I say that the majority will die in a food collapse?

Because the majority has no way to procure their own food without ‘money’. And in a situation where there is little or no food to be had, money won’t matter. These people will die.

How long can a person live without food? A more important question is, how long can a person adequately ‘function’ without food – before becoming too weak to really help themselves? Answer: NOT LONG!

Within a month we will have a massive die-off of millions upon millions of people.

Would other nations come to our rescue? And if they did, how much affect would it actually have? (Probably not too much). Since I have not described a scenario of the ’cause’ of food supply collapse, it’s impossible to adequately surmise any possible aid. Maybe most of the world has become affected by the collapse…

I’m going to share with you three old lessons that will ensure your children will be well fed when others are rummaging through garbage bins. Click here to learn all about the 3 skills that will help you thrive in any crises situation.

Not only will people die from starvation, but many will die from the ensuing chaos. Unless you have a vivid imagination, it might be difficult to imagine the potential horror of a city (all the cities) and suburbia without food (or very little food). While people still had their strength, many would become so desperate to feed themselves and their family that they would turn to doing things that were unthinkable before.

Who would survive? Those who might survive will be those who have at least prepared. Those who have thought ahead and planned and/or changed their way of life to one that’s more self-sufficient and self-reliant. Those who may have relocated to a place better suited for such a life. Those who already have the ability and capability to procure their own food. While none of these are a guarantee, at least they are substantial.

Most people will scoff at the notion of a food supply collapse – because it has never happened in their lifetime and is unthinkable. My response would be that although it would take a seemingly unimaginable set of circumstances to affect the general food supply and distribution system in such a way, the fact is that we as a people LITERALLY rely on a stocked neighborhood grocery store to keep us alive. That in and of itself is motivation enough for me to supplement that with a more self-reliant source (or sources).

Even though there is no way to know for a fact what is going to happen, it is essential that you are prepared whether you raise, grow, or purchase the food. The better prepared you are, the more likely you will be able to survive food rationing. My point is to simply (but horrifically) imagine life without plentifully filled grocery stores. Imagine how many people would perish because of it. Imagine how long (short) it would take for the chaos and starvation to take its toll. And then ask yourself what are you going to do about it…

How to find food after SHTF

The following tips about plants and animals apply no matter where you are. Even in the most metropolitan of cites there is greenery, and likely some of the edible plants the Army Manual describes in parks, botanical gardens, roof gardens, window boxes and the like. There certainly is no lack of insects and bugs in cities, as unappealing as that sounds. The section on hunting and trapping in “the wilderness,” applies equally well to squirrels, rats, mice, pigeons, stray dogs and cats, and any other critters roaming around the city – should it come to that. If the Sh*t has really hit the fan, and the cities are in decline and along with them the human population, more and more game will start to encroach on urban areas. Read a great article about the 6 most common traps for small game HERE.

Do not be surprised if you start to see rabbits, deer and coyotes on main street, as believe it or not, there are large populations of all three living on the outskirts of most big cities. If you are outside for any extended period of time, and cut off there is an abundance of plant life and vegetation that you can use for food. But there are also many plants that are not edible – you need to learn the difference. For example, poison hemlock has killed people who mistook it for its relatives, wild carrots and wild parsnips. Read this great article on over 100 wild edible plants in North America.

Edible Wild Plants Guide. Over 100 Wild Edible Plants With Video

The Army Survival manual suggests the following basic information for determining plants you can eat, and ones you should avoid.

• Plants growing near homes and occupied buildings or along roadsides may have been sprayed with pesticides. You should wash these plants thoroughly. In more highly developed countries with many automobiles, avoid roadside plants, if possible, due to contamination from exhaust emissions.
• Plants growing in contaminated water or in water containing Giardia lamblia and other parasites are contaminated themselves. Boil or disinfect them.
• Some plants develop extremely dangerous fungal toxins. To lessen the chance of accidental poisoning, do not eat any fruit that is starting to spoil or is showing signs of mildew or fungus.
• Avoid any weed, leaves, or seeds with an almond like scent, a characteristic of the cyanide compounds.
• Some people are more susceptible to gastric distress (from plants) than others. If you are sensitive in this way, avoid unknown wild plants. If you are extremely sensitive to poison ivy, avoid products from this family, including any parts from sumacs, mangoes, and cashews.
• Some edible wild plants, such as acorns and water lily rhizomes, are bitter. These bitter substances, usually tannin compounds, make them unpalatable. Though they taste bad, they are edible — boiling them in several changes of water will usually remove these bitter properties.
• Many valuable wild plants have high concentrations of oxalate compounds, also known as oxalic acid. Oxalates produce a sharp burning sensation in your mouth and throat and damage the kidneys. Baking, roasting, or drying usually destroys these oxalate crystals. The bulb of the jack-in-the-pulpit is known as the “Indian turnip” is a good example, you can eat it, but only after removing these crystals by slow baking or by drying.

WARNING: Though it may be tempting because of they are recognizable, you should avoid eating mushrooms, or any fungus in a survival situation! The only way to tell if a mushroom is edible is by positive identification. There is no room for experimentation. Symptoms caused by the most dangerous and toxic mushrooms may not show up until several days after you have eaten them. By that time, it is too late to reverse their effects.

To avoid other potentially poisonous plants, stay away from any wild or unknown plants that have:

• Milky or discolored sap.
• Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods.
• Bitter or soapy taste.
• Spines, fine hairs, or thorns.
• Foliage that resembles dill, carrot, parsnip, or parsley.
• An almond scent in woody parts and leaves.
• Grain heads with pink, purplish, or black spurs.
• A three-leafed growth pattern.

Identifying edible plants is a complex science. Some plants have both edible and poisonous parts. Many are edible only at certain times of the year. Others may have poisonous relatives that look very similar to the varieties you can eat or use for medicine. If you are truly interested in learning all there is to know about identifying what plants you can eat by living off the land, you may want to take a specific course in the subject.

One plant that is almost always safe to eat is sea weed. We can call sea weed SHTF food. Seaweed is a valuable source of iodine, other minerals, and vitamin C. When gathering seaweed for food, find living plants attached to rocks or floating free. Seaweed washed on shore for any length of time may be spoiled or decayed. You can dry freshly harvested seaweed for later use. Different types of seaweed should be prepared in different ways. You can dry thin and tender varieties in the sun or over a fire until crisp. Crush and add these to soups or broths. Boil thick, leathery seaweeds for a short time to soften them. Eat them as a vegetable or with other foods.

Final word…

Every family is facing a different set of circumstances, so “prepping” is not going to look the same for everyone.  What may make sense for you may not make sense for me.  But the truth is that we all need to get prepared for what is coming, because time is running out.

It is time for all of us to awaken from our slumber, because life in America is about to dramatically change.