[eric489]

Hi all !


As most of the forum discussions are centered around Us shtf scenarios, I tought of detailing my modest preparedness.

First of all, I'm still a college student. Even though I have a student's job from time to time, I don't have a fixed income. That doesn't mean that I'm poor and cannot afford basic material but financially, I have a setback compared to many "pro"-survivalists out there.


Also, we live in a semi-urban setting, on the very outskirts of the city if you prefer. That means that in case of a SHTF, we're not in an overcrowded environment like people living in blocks downtown.

I've tried to discuss the state of the damaging Us and world economy with family and the main result was that, as my mom could aknowledge that things are getting worse, she doesn't think that a larger than 2008 crisis will eventually shake the world.
I've talked to some other people who were more realistic and they all told me that a crisis is inevitable. Wether it'll be a slow process or a sudden burst like in 2008, no one knows.

The main reason why I'm trying to think ahead is because when I look/talk with young people of my age (20-25), they don't seem to realise. Yes they see that there are protests, that times are getting harsher, but they're lightyears away from thinking currency crisis and shtf scenarios like Argentina in 2001 (Most of them barely know the debt level USA has gotten into). Not to be mean, but they're kinda deaf to the current situation, with their ipod earbuds on.

I was thinking of buying a 100 gr gold bar with the savings I have. It'll be a huge blow for me financially, but as the dollar depreciates day by day, and gold is going higher lately, I don't wanna reconsider it later and regretting not having done the move when it was cheaper and I still had the money.


So I'm trying to slowly stock some vital things around. I tought of the following, feel free to add and contribute :

1) Various food, with long shelf life. Even tough my mom will start asking why I'm hoarding this.
2) First help kit
3) Vegtable seeds, (we have a tiny backyard)
4) Hygiene products : Toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, shaving foam, ...
5) Get a spare pair of glasses
6) A small gas ring, you know, typical camping stove.
7) 5 liter water cans
8) Torch, candles with matches and lighters.


Any tips ?

 

[idmicheal]

I'm in a similar situation to you; I'm in college, living at home, although I do have a steady part-time job. I made a post asking for advice a few weeks back, and the feel I got (which what I was already leaning towards) was water first, then food, then other things.
I've sort of gone in reverse order, I bought silver first, which I buy in 1 oz. coins because I feel that they would be much more usable if need be, unless you just want the gold as more an investment to preserve the value of your money. But 100g. is a lot and would be difficult to use as money. But I don't know what your concerns are relating to that.

But I'm currently working out my water situation. Last year the city turned off the water on my street to do maintenance and I ran out of water within a few hours and had to go without for most of the day. That really opened my eyes to how important it is to have some in reserve. You could buy some jugs of water from the store, but I get the impression that they begin to leak after a while. What I would like to work toward is having a rain barrel to collect and store the water from my roof, which could then be purified (think a Berkey-style filter), or used for the garden.
There are other, much more knowledgeable people here in regards to food storage, so I won't attempt to go into that.
But the garden is a great idea. I bought some seeds at the beginning of the month from www.mypatriotsupply.com (no, I'm not affiliated, I just think they offer a superb product, especially for the price, but I don't know if they would ship internationally) and sowed them for a fall crop. We have a really long growing season were I am, so I figured I would just try to get the hang of things this year, then get really serious next Spring. But everything I have planted has just taken off! It is really a great feeling to be able to grow and harvest/store your seeds and produce. I'm sure you know to get Heirloom seeds so you can continue harvesting and planting the seeds. I actually wasn't able to plant a garden in the Spring because I was travelling through Europe :

Well the normal American response of "GUNS! GET GUNS!" obviously doesn't work for you (unless you have the patience to stomach bureaucracy ), so I guess you just have that much more money to direct to other preps.

Hope this helps and welcome to the boards!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Water filters for emergency use.

 

[eric489]

I'm in a similar situation to you; I'm in college, living at home, although I do have a steady part-time job. I made a post asking for advice a few weeks back, and the feel I got (which what I was already leaning towards) was water first, then food, then other things.
I've sort of gone in reverse order, I bought silver first, which I buy in 1 oz. coins because I feel that they would be much more usable if need be, unless you just want the gold as more an investment to preserve the value of your money. But 100g. is a lot and would be difficult to use as money. But I don't know what your concerns are relating to that.

But I'm currently working out my water situation. Last year the city turned off the water on my street to do maintenance and I ran out of water within a few hours and had to go without for most of the day. That really opened my eyes to how important it is to have some in reserve. You could buy some jugs of water from the store, but I get the impression that they begin to leak after a while. What I would like to work toward is having a rain barrel to collect and store the water from my roof, which could then be purified (think a Berkey-style filter), or used for the garden.
There are other, much more knowledgeable people here in regards to food storage, so I won't attempt to go into that.
But the garden is a great idea. I bought some seeds at the beginning of the month from www.mypatriotsupply.com (no, I'm not affiliated, I just think they offer a superb product, especially for the price, but I don't know if they would ship internationally) and sowed them for a fall crop. We have a really long growing season were I am, so I figured I would just try to get the hang of things this year, then get really serious next Spring. But everything I have planted has just taken off! It is really a great feeling to be able to grow and harvest/store your seeds and produce. I'm sure you know to get Heirloom seeds so you can continue harvesting and planting the seeds. I actually wasn't able to plant a garden in the Spring because I was travelling through Europe :

Well the normal American response of "GUNS! GET GUNS!" obviously doesn't work for you (unless you have the patience to stomach bureaucracy ), so I guess you just have that much more money to direct to other preps.

Hope this helps and welcome to the boards!

Thanks for the reply.

When it comes to water I was thinking of 5 liters cans which I could store. We don't have that much room, so I also think I should try to reorganize stuff before trying to store things. (We like our home clean and tidy, but stuff have accumulated thoughout the last 2-3 years so I'd better start selling/getting rid of useless stuff)

I also tought of an eco torch and also just a powerful torch which might come in handy.
Plus candles and some lighters, matches.

When it comes to protection, here in Europe (at least in Belgium), we're not in the guns mania. Most people who possess guns are certified hunters with their bunch of licenses, law enforcement and some very rare collectionners. If you're not in any of these categories and still have guns then you most likely have an illegal one and are working with higher-ups in the drug industry. But since I'm the only man in the family with my mom and younger sister, I do think that I should think off some sort of defense thing.

 

[Daisy]

I highly recommend seeds as well, you can order some good stuff from Ebay UK, they ship to Bulgaria (many of them) so Belgium should not be a problem. Of course I'm sure you can buy seeds in Belgium as well.

Get a bunch of starchy things and then add some tins. Like Pasta, Rice, Mashed Potatoes, Cous Cous, etc. and then tins of tomato and other veg, and some tinned meat. that way you can make a kind of filling meal and it doesn't take a huge amount of storage space. Start by getting a week's supply and then add weeks onto that. Get some tins of fruit as well, maybe some dried fruit and nuts, and some rolled oats, so you can have a filling breakfast along with some powdered milk, or UHT (long shelf life) milk.

Some vegetable/chicken stock cubes and some spices so you can make stuff taste nice.

Some pudding mixes so you can have some comfort food.


coffee/tea if you drink it. Get some of those fruit drink mixes that you add water to, just so you can have something sweet and different.

some lentils, alfalfa seed, mung beans, wheat berries, so you can make sprouts in winter and have fresh nutritious greens.

Big bags of potatoes can be stored in a dark place for quite a while, so can pumpkins, and onions if you hang them up in one of your mum's pair of tights, tie a little knot between each onion and just hang in dark place.

and then add on top of that, other things that you like to eat normally.

At a DIY store you can usually get pool chlorine. Look on the net you can find how much to use in water to purify it for drinking. (This stuff is concentrated so takes less space, and you have lots and lots to purify water with). don't forget your hot water boiler also has water in it you can use.

It IS worthwhile getting those large 8 liter water bottles, just get a bunch and rotate them use the oldest ones first and replace them. You can always fill them with more water from the tap.

for medicine, first aid kit, like you said. Pain killers (ibuprofine, aspirin), disinfectant (alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, merchurochrome) anti diarea, anti nausea (ginger tea is GREAT for this).

I wouldn't get too carried away with the gold. Maybe do a bit of silver like the other fellow said. I think specially in Europe, people may not feel the same about these prescious metals, but if you have food or other barter items that might be good. Also consider that the price of food is going to go up drastically due to hyper inflation, Tell your mum for that reason alone to stock up, it will save her money. Get her to buy in bulk. Store under your bed, in the attic, under the stairs, wherever.

Well done on you for having your eyes and ears open and taking responsibility for the future!

 

[Gullars]

First of all, it kind of depends on the country you live in, and what location in that particular country you are in!

I live in Norway so our gun laws are a bit less strickt. Everyone can take a hunting licens in Norway. With that you can have 6 weapons ( not handguns and AK/AR`s unfortently, unless you are a member of a shooting club, witch anyone can sign up for). But its plenty of shotguns and rifles you can buy.

For defence, buy a machete and axe. It beats nothing. I mean, during Stalingrad many russians didnt have firearms, they charged the germans with sharpend shovels!


1) Various food, with long shelf life. Even tough my mom will start asking why I'm hoarding this.
2) First help kit
3) Vegtable seeds, (we have a tiny backyard)
4) Hygiene products : Toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, shaving foam, ...
5) Get a spare pair of glasses
6) A small gas ring, you know, typical camping stove.
7) 5 liter water cans
8) Torch, candles with matches and lighters.

1. Living in Belgium I think you have access to a lot of good products from various parts of Europe. Except for the rice & beans stuff, maby dried meat. Canned food can last very long.

2. First aid you can start at the pharmecy. Painkillers, antiseptic, bandage. Only problem I see in Europe is that antibiotics are hard to get without a doctors prescription. So unless you have contacts this one could be a challange.

3. Look at the farming section. Many raised gardens and tomato plants. If you search you will find a therm called " guerilla gardening ". I think that might be the way for you. What part of Belgium do you live? I remember it was a hell of a lot of farm land.

4. Find a solution for when your toilet is not working anymore. Find a way to collect water!

5. A very overlooked item. Also buy extra Cleaning Kits for you glasses. A very overlooked item.

6. MSR Pocket Rocket and propane bottles.

7. Barrel to collect water if you can.

8. Wool blankets. We have some nasty winters now o days. Invest in wool clothing. They keep you warm even if wett, they doesnt smell like cotton.
Time times I been in Belgium and Holland I noticed you dont exactly have that much forest. Propane must be used for cooking and sterilise you water. You will have to find a way to be able to keep it warm in the winters. Horde batteries. Some of the best and cheapest one I know are the yellow IKEA batteries. They are accually the B-storage of Duracell.

How rual or urban do you live?

 

[rover]

When it comes to protection, here in Europe (at least in Belgium), we're not in the guns mania. Most people who possess guns are certified hunters with their bunch of licenses, law enforcement and some very rare collectionners. If you're not in any of these categories and still have guns then you most likely have an illegal one and are working with higher-ups in the drug industry. But since I'm the only man in the family with my mom and younger sister, I do think that I should think off some sort of defense thing.

hey eric489, would the monies that gold bar will set you back be enuff to get a firearm and the licenses to hunt, that would be a good skill to get before you need it. your list is a good start but Uncle Bob is right- Water filter should almost be at the top of your list.

Can you own a bow or crossbow,is it leagal ? you can even make a bow but again, I would want the skills to go with it now. good luck and think Belgium for their FN FAL for me

 

[Arthalion]

Hello Eric489.

I also live in Europe and I am very aware of the limitations for firearms. Even in countries like U.K. the weapons are limited to a level characteristic of a dictatorial country where the freedom of individuals is heavily cropped.

In this regard, some tips that you already have the priority, if social debacle, is evasion and concealment. Since there is no rapid-fire weapons, or capacity for war, camouflage and discretion must be the cornerstone of survival.

A team of efficient fishing and trapping for food is essential, it is also crucial to have a reserve of seeds to create a hidden garden that is out of sight of the marauders. From the premise that the camouflage and concealment will be critical to stay away from danger, you must understand that there will probably be to maintain a certain roaming rotary. Stay long in one place creates persistent access tracks, and tracks it represents to find you.

Look my friend... I will not delve into it, but I at some stage in my life I was confronted with my own SHTF and I learned some things along the way that I have stuck in memory. They're not big tricks, but they are small details that can make a huge difference in the chances of prevailing. A very important "not having all your eggs in one basket" by that I mean that all your team and supplies should not be in one place, and you should not bring you too much material. It is essential to have several "hiding", separated from each other, where you have spare parts, food and materials available, but safe from theft.

The water purification is critical, and coat well. A good first aid kit to treat pain or injury is also crucial. A minor injury that is not treated properly, can mean a fatal infection, and a toothache or joint can be a torture if it falls in a subsistence in which hardship and need are the everyday. Another important detail is hygiene! Something as simple today as cure a fungic infection (very common if you live in humid environments) can be a serious health problem in social meltdown scenario, where there is no access to anti fungal medicine.

The knives are important because, besides their value as weapons, allow the manufacture of wooden tools and perform construction work. Next to each knife is very important to have a sharpening stone to keep the knife is always in good working condition.

In short, think the SHTF in Europe will not be like going to war, rather it will be like living in hiding, surrounded by dangers; hidden knowledge and move with caution are the two most important assumptions in order to develop an attitude allow us to survive. Another point to bear in mind is that psych is going to have to endure many hardships and needs; hard time to adjust to this way of thinking, but there is no way that ... I had to adjust my approach to life when I was faced with a situation very similar to the SHTF, and when this happened I had to rethink my priorities at the time to understand my existence and my understanding of what living is.

When I went through my own "experience SHTF" kept roaming between city and forest. My "home" was in a forest near the city but very lush and suitable for a hidden refuge. For a person wandering and penniless, if the city is a complicated place in peace, in times of social meltdown must be a living hell.

One more thing, and very important for you and your loved ones: Never, under any circumstances, fall into the moral decadence ... Your perception of the world and your integrity as a person depends on it. NEVER let the wickedness and violence of the world infects your soul, that's something you should watch with close attention. Defend when needed, and do not hesitate to use force when necessary, but do it only when you can not avoid doing so. Never enjoy the violence and try not to make use of it as possible.

If you keep your soul clean, the world can abuse you and grieve, but do not stain on the inside. A pure soul can smile and rejoice in a beautiful sunset, even when in a situation of hardship. A spirit that does not accept malevolence, has many open doors and sleep better

Greetings

 

[Gullars]

I hope I dont break Forum laws, but if you really need a firearm. You just need to find a albanian or bosnian cafe/pub. Europe is flooded with firearms from former Yugoslavian wars.

I remember few years ago I was offered a almoast new yugoslavian AK47 & ammo for 600 euro`s. I thanked no at that time because I accually belived in the law and the government. Not sure if I would refuse it today. Just a matter of cach it, in case of SHTF.

 

[homesteader1]

eric489: Food and water are your first priority. Catching rain water is a good start. If there is a river, stream, lake or pond near you you can use that as a source of water. Have the water tested ans determine what you need to purify the water. The Later Day Saints (Mormons) are the best source for long term food storage. ( www.providentliving.org ). I use 5 Gallon (20 litre) buckets with Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers to store most of my dry food. There is a good set of videos on YouTube about storage.

Start small and continue to add to your storage every week. Good luck and keep asking questions.

 

[Rosesandtea]

Re antibiotics - you can get them from fish supply shops, either in real life or on the internet (like on Amazon). However different antibiotics have different purposes and you should learn a lot before using them. They also have shelf lifes that need to be adhered to, unlike canned goods.

I am not recommending buying antibiotics, only saying that there are options.

 

[Allamakee County]

Welcome to the forum, Eric.

I think your list is very good and an excellent way to start. I'd wait on the gold unless you find yourself with a lot of extra cash sitting around. Your idea of looking around and reorganizing is excellent, just don't let it take so long that you get distracted and lose interest in the project.

We put in two 55-gallon rain barrels this spring (total over 400 liters of capacity) and while we found that one good rain will fill them both, we can also empty them VERY QUICKLY. So a rain barrel is a great idea as part of your water plan, but you cannot rely on it solely. Make yours a multipronged approach. Rain barrel plus filter (a Berkey is great, but they are costly), stored water, plus find a source of water that you could carry from if you are in big trouble.

One easy storage spot is under the beds. If you raise your beds up on bed risers (or concrete blocks, if that is all you have), you can gain a lot of storage space that you will not miss a bit. You could put a lot of water jugs under a bed!

Good for you, thinking as you are.

 

[eric489]

Hello Eric489.

I also live in Europe and I am very aware of the limitations for firearms. Even in countries like U.K. the weapons are limited to a level characteristic of a dictatorial country where the freedom of individuals is heavily cropped.

In this regard, some tips that you already have the priority, if social debacle, is evasion and concealment. Since there is no rapid-fire weapons, or capacity for war, camouflage and discretion must be the cornerstone of survival.

A team of efficient fishing and trapping for food is essential, it is also crucial to have a reserve of seeds to create a hidden garden that is out of sight of the marauders. From the premise that the camouflage and concealment will be critical to stay away from danger, you must understand that there will probably be to maintain a certain roaming rotary. Stay long in one place creates persistent access tracks, and tracks it represents to find you.

Look my friend... I will not delve into it, but I at some stage in my life I was confronted with my own SHTF and I learned some things along the way that I have stuck in memory. They're not big tricks, but they are small details that can make a huge difference in the chances of prevailing. A very important "not having all your eggs in one basket" by that I mean that all your team and supplies should not be in one place, and you should not bring you too much material. It is essential to have several "hiding", separated from each other, where you have spare parts, food and materials available, but safe from theft.

The water purification is critical, and coat well. A good first aid kit to treat pain or injury is also crucial. A minor injury that is not treated properly, can mean a fatal infection, and a toothache or joint can be a torture if it falls in a subsistence in which hardship and need are the everyday. Another important detail is hygiene! Something as simple today as cure a fungic infection (very common if you live in humid environments) can be a serious health problem in social meltdown scenario, where there is no access to anti fungal medicine.

The knives are important because, besides their value as weapons, allow the manufacture of wooden tools and perform construction work. Next to each knife is very important to have a sharpening stone to keep the knife is always in good working condition.

In short, think the SHTF in Europe will not be like going to war, rather it will be like living in hiding, surrounded by dangers; hidden knowledge and move with caution are the two most important assumptions in order to develop an attitude allow us to survive. Another point to bear in mind is that psych is going to have to endure many hardships and needs; hard time to adjust to this way of thinking, but there is no way that ... I had to adjust my approach to life when I was faced with a situation very similar to the SHTF, and when this happened I had to rethink my priorities at the time to understand my existence and my understanding of what living is.

When I went through my own "experience SHTF" kept roaming between city and forest. My "home" was in a forest near the city but very lush and suitable for a hidden refuge. For a person wandering and penniless, if the city is a complicated place in peace, in times of social meltdown must be a living hell.

One more thing, and very important for you and your loved ones: Never, under any circumstances, fall into the moral decadence ... Your perception of the world and your integrity as a person depends on it. NEVER let the wickedness and violence of the world infects your soul, that's something you should watch with close attention. Defend when needed, and do not hesitate to use force when necessary, but do it only when you can not avoid doing so. Never enjoy the violence and try not to make use of it as possible.

If you keep your soul clean, the world can abuse you and grieve, but do not stain on the inside. A pure soul can smile and rejoice in a beautiful sunset, even when in a situation of hardship. A spirit that does not accept malevolence, has many open doors and sleep better

Greetings

Thanks all of you for the advice.

First, as for guns, I do not think they're a priority in my case. The legislation being what it is, I simply don't wanna cross any legal borders and end up in trouble for that. And the price/time investment in order to enlist as a hunter simply isn't worth it. I know this may surprise some of my American counterparts of this forum, but that's the way it is. I also think that having a very tight government gun control policy is only for the better in our case. We have so many young punks of my age, we (I) don't want them running around and buying guns and ammo so easily as it can be done in the States. London and various parts of Britain is already known for small gang violence and a knife/stabbing-epidemy, picture the same youth with firearms. This may sound chocking to some of you. But I'd rather have weapons in the hands of competent people rather than being available to every douche around the neighbourhood for the sake of flexible legislation.


I'm defintely stocking up on a variety of seeds. 6 months ago, before I got into Orlov's reading and made a more detailed analysis of the us economy, I was already thinking of starting to sow seeds and try my own tiny crop in the garden. Also, for various other reasons, I don't really believe in the whole industrial food concept. We need to break away from the retail system and rearrange on mom and pop stores. (There still many of them here in Europe in comparison to the USA where it's basically Wall mart or Target)

As for water barrels, since my getting of them will lead to a serious conversation with my mom on why I'm hoarding things, I tought it may be better to just get some normal 5 liters water cans as a priority.

For the rest, inflation is maybe more pronounced in the Us, but we'll have our fair share of price increase here on the Old Continent. Droughts are getting more severe by the year, failing crops are getting the norm. So I considered wise to just buy some flour and other necessities.


Other than that as I bent on Ferfal and Orlov's analysis, I tought of this :

The crisis will most likely not hit us suddenly, from a day to the other. It'll be a slow process. So more and more you'll see stores and businesses closing and whole parts of town dying. Which will increase petty crime.

So the best things to do besides getting water/food and seeds, would be to slowly prepare for a society where most of the things you tought of buying are simply gone since the stores and other outlets close down. I've always been a book enthusiast. So I've done my little "library" recently over the year.

And as listed, I'm thinking of getting another pair of glasses. I've already got enough cleaning tissues, so that's ok.
Most importantly is that we have kidney problems in our family. Nothing bad, but my younger sister needs liffe long medication. As for my mother she's diabetic (type 1).
I've got my wisdom tooth pulled out three months ago and I'm getting a full doc check up.

 

[Allamakee County]

So I considered wise to just buy some flour and other necessities.

Aha! You have hit the nail on the head. It might even fly with Mom. "Mom, I know prices are going up, and I'd like to have 2 weeks of groceries stored ahead of time. I'd rather have groceries at today's prices than next month's."

And then in a couple of weeks, your 2 weeks' worth of staples can mysteriously expand to 3, and then 4.

BTW, how can she think you are hoarding if part of this process is getting rid of stuff you no longer use? I would think that would impress any mom.

 

[ray charles]

Water filters or the ability to filter water and water containment first and foremost. Follow that with a good food supply. Read through the threads for following equipment. Plan a good hiding spot for your supplies. Firearms, although nice to have, are overated in the hiarchy of needed supplies and preperations. If you to fill the need for a weapon, get a good knife, a quarter staff, and a long bow with a good supply of arrows.

 

[8valve]

buy a high power air rifle for hunting if you want they are legal in belgium
and pepperspray and "ploertendoders" are available there those are good for self defense

 

[cbrau72]

Just a quick reminder, you can take the train to northern Italy and buy almost any medications you need at Italian pharmacys without a script from a doctor.

Also if you can after the SHTF make your way to Switzerland. You'll find security there. Just personal experience. Stay out of big European cities for obvious reasons and head up to small mountain towns.

 

[cbrau72]

Other Italian pharmacies have a doctor on staff who can write you a script for more controlled drugs.

 

[Herd Sniper]

A couple of things here...

#1. Remember that you can always boil water to make it drinkable. A water filter is nice but now you have a second option: bring your water to a rolling boil for a minute and then let it cool down for drinking.

#2. Survival is about intelligence, options and proper use of intelligent options. What this means is that information is your ally and you need to know how to intelligently use your information to give you more options. Survival boils down to having options and making the right decisions.

#3. Get a couple of books on edible wild plants in your area. You would be amazed at what is out there ready for you to eat that everybody walks by every day. Take your books, go to the local park and study what plants you find in the park. Get to know your local edible wild plants so that you know them all by sight. You might also consider taking some college courses on plant life as electives when possible too.

#4. When you go out to eat say at a restaurant or school cafeteria, watch and see what condiments are left out for you to pick over and take. If you have a soup and they leave crackers out for you to use, take 6 packets of crackers. You would want to use 3 packets in your soup that day and take the other 3 back to your room so that you can store them away. Crackers stay usable for a long time if stored in a can or plastic bin of some sort. You can do the same with packets of tea, sugar, coffee, salt and pepper too. You can very gradually build up your stash of stuff pretty much for free but don't go to extremes. Be subtle about the stuff you take and don't just grab all the crackers at one time. Just take enough so that you can gradually, slowly build up what you need.

#5. Keep your eyes open for opportunities. If you go to one restaurant, they may have matches out for customers to take with them, or wrapped candy or maybe towelettes for wiping, if so, grab a couple of extras and take them home with you. The idea is that they write those items off as advertising and if you take a couple of extras with you each time you go there, it will be a gradual build up of these items too.

 

[seawind]

Thanks for your post. I find it interesting to read post from preppers in other countries. You are in a way lucky. You can still talk to people who remember what it is like to be occupied by an enemy. Ask them what they would stock up on if they knew then what they know now. If you are really lucky you may know someone who was in the "underground" pick their brain and memories.

Water: buy a good filter, you can not store enough Period!! Self-defense find a method you are comfortable with and Practice!! Get a gun!!! I assume you are not an evil person. Therefore a gun in your hands will not do evil. Right? Above all apply to move to the USof A. If you believe in personal responsibility, Liberty, If live free or die means anything to you, we could use you over here. Europe is poised to surrender again, get out while you can.