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Our entire country is extremely fragile in many ways. We have our lowest food reserves and lowest water reserves. Clean, safe drinking water is becoming more difficult to access. not to mention a full economic collapse, we are not immune to that. We could be in the same predicament as Greece not long from now since the global currency is in the process of being changed. Surely there will be some type of financial crises. If you ask me, the economy looks worse than ever, just being masked by the petro dollar and that can only last so long.
Prepping will have different requirements for each individual or family. I will be focusing on my plan. I live in a rural area. Many people discuss "bugging out". I plan to hold down the fort. I feel that bugging out during a crisis can be dangerous for many reasons. This is not to say that for others, it may be the best choice.
WATER: That is the most difficult essential item for most to prepar for. There are many that take it to the extreme in storing water for a crisis. The average person requires 1 to 2 gallons of water per day minimum. This is only for eating and drinking.
I am fortunate when it comes to the issue of water. I have a newly installed 5" hand pump deep well that has been approved by the health department as potable (safe for drinking). My water storage is safely underground.
We are already in the beginning of a major water crisis across the entire country. At least referring to the cities and water treatment plants, not to mention the intense droughts in the west. Also, Flint, Detroit, and cities in Ohio, the water that they are receiving is not considered safe to drink and does not comply to federal laws. In other words, it is potentially poisonous dirty water. The problem is only going to get worse. Within the next 5 years it is expected that water prices will double across the nation. Here is a worthy article to read over. This article will give an idea of how serious and expensive this problem is for our nation. Drinking water systems imperiled by failing infrastructure
Here is a disturbing article concerning the water supply for Flint, MI. They have been poisoning people and manipulating the test results. Expect this to be carried out across the country. Greed has taken over! Lax Oversight, Manipulated Data Led To Flint Water Crisis, Researcher Says
Here is a video where it is taken to the extreme when it comes to water storage. Not saying that you should go to this extreme, but everyone should have an adequate supply of clean water stored. He provides many good tips. nutnfancy has a wide range of videos from firearms to food when it comes to survival.
https://youtu.be/pcE5x3X6TQ4
FOOD: Food storage is not difficult, or expensive, even for someone living in an apartment. It can get expensive if you choose to purchase freeze dried goods, which can last 20 to 30 years and no refrigeration is necessary, until opened for some items. Even meat is available freeze dried. If you are fortunate enough to have the money to invest, you can get everything you need in freeze dried form here: 
I for one do not have the finances to invest in freeze dried foods. I fall into the category of the mid to low expense investment. I have decided to start preparing my own dried food supply. I have invested in 2 essential tools to begin my journey. The first item is the Excalibur food dehydrator. I have the Excalibur 3920TB Food Dehydrator which is a 9 tray unit with a built in timer. It has good customer reviews and was reasonably priced (through Amazon.com). Excalibur makes smaller units with just as good of ratings. The next item I have invested in is the FoodSaver V3240 Vacuum Sealing System and also the FoodSaver Kit wide-mouth jar sealer, regular sealer, and accessory hose. The FoodSaver investment cost under $150 with the jar sealing accessory kit. I highly recommend the FoodSaver equipment for all marijuana growers. From now on I will be vacuum sealing all of my jarred buds for optimum freshness and longevity.
The opportunities are endless for long term storage of food which are affordable and efficient. Getting started, purchase dry goods in bulk, like at Sam's Club or Costco. A 50 pound bag of rice can be purchased for under $20. Check out this video where the guy stores 50 pounds of rice in canning jars.
Another example of storing dry rice for long term using mylar bags: This is part 3, and it shows how oxygen absorbers are used.
There are other methods, such as, mylar bags, food grade buckets, etc. I like the glass jars because rodents cannot get into them. However, as the saying says, "don't put all your eggs in one basket", it may be wise to use all methods. What if the jars get broken, from an earthquake for example?
Oxygen absorbers are also good to have on hand when preparing foods for long term storage. With certain methods, you may wish to use oxygen absorbers in addition to vacuum sealing. There are many videos on YouTube that show many different techniques of long term storage of foods. As I learn more, I will add it to my discussion.
The food dehydrator is great for long term storage of foods as well as making simple, healthy snacks for anytime. Dried fruit are transformed into simple, healthy snacks that last a long time, do not require refrigeration, and taste like candy!
Along with the food dehydrator I also purchased The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook by Tammy Gangloff, Steven Gangloff & September Ferguson. I plan to invest in other books for a more diverse viewpoint on dehydrating and storing food. There are some awesome recipes for "instant, just add water meals" that can be prepared utilizing dried meats and vegetables. Just imagine the space you can save, not only for long term food storage, but even for daily use!
It is time for a lifestyle change. Buy organic fruits and vegetables, no more pre-canned preservative ridden food from the grocery store. Yes, canned goods are not all bad to have around and good to stock up on by means of prepping. Most canned goods can go beyond the printed use by dates as well. Either way, I plan to change my ways to a more healthy way of life and it begins with food. In the end the equipment will have paid for itself. Buying in bulk, preparing food for long term and short term use provides less waste and can save a family well over $1,000 a year in food purchases alone.
Here are a couple of videos showcasing the use of freeze dried and dehydrated food and long term food storage.
https://youtu.be/gothlufqKA4
Christy Jordan has a lot of great videos on dehydrating foods. This video is about dehydratig ground beef. You must be careful with storing any meat, it must be fat free. The fat will cause the meat to go rancid no matter how dry the meat is. Dehydrated ground beef can potentially store for 2 years or longer without refrigeration.
FUEL: I am only planning to store 10 gallons of treated gasoline. I probably should store more, but space is a concern. I don't want to put all of my reliance on gasoline or electronically operated equipment.
Heat for the colder climates. I haven't done too much research on this. Currently I burn wood for heat. I purchase a season supply of wood every spring. The wood burning stoves do not require electricity and that is a plus.
More to come as I get more involved...
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