1.) Go for the smaller packages. You can still get that 20-lb bag of rice, as long as you get 40 freezer-quality quart-sized Ziplock storage bags to break them down into. For cans, smaller is better. You want 3-6 oz, not 72 oz of green beans, beverage powder, fruits, etc. Why? Because if the food spoils or gets broken into by rats, etc, the smaller packages are easier to lose than the humongous 6-lb tin of Ravoli.
2.) DO NOT FORGET THE CAN OPENERS. Plan 1 new can opener every 6 months of use. One can opener per household in your neighborhood. Throw in some spares in case yours gets broken. This is a must-have tool that only costs $0.85 for a cheap thin one or $11 for the super tool made in the U.S.A.
3.) Plan for varmints & bugs to get into your food. Moths can squeeze into rubber-lidded storage glass jars. Rats can chew through trash can plastic. Usually you can stop pests by storing your rice, spaghetti, grits, dry beans, flour, etc in the refrigerator and/or freezer. Surprise! When the power goes out you lose your protection. Cardboard boxes are not the way to store your dried fruit chips in thin vacuum-sealed bags. Start thinking about how to keep your stored food off of the ground (floor), and away from flying bugs.
4.) Most alcohol-specific specialty stores (Aunt Betty's Cafe) sell "travel-sized" or 2-6oz hard liquor. You will need a couple of dozen of these as barter items, wound cleaning, fire starters, etc. Bourbon, vodka, or whisky is best, not wine or beer.
5.) Over the course of a week, start collecting the lint from your clothes dryer. The fuzz from cotton towels and underwear is best to save, roll, and put into Ziploc bags as future fire starters. The same goes for the packing paper some still put into cardboard boxes (not the plastic air-filled pillows or Styrofoam peanuts!). A few ounces of this cotton-candy-like material is perfect for using with twigs and branches to start a fire.
6.) Hard candies. From lollipops to Lifesavers, nothing beats comforting crying children like a small piece of candy. The sugar rush can help on bad mornings getting out of bed as well. Hard candies will last longer than chocolate or gummies or taffy. Get lots of different flavors. These can also spoil in open air, so watch the expiration dates.
7.) Several pairs of work gloves, from the cheap kind meant to be thrown away, to the newer, thin plastic-and-cotton kind. You might have to use a chainsaw yourself if a tree falls in your yard and there's no crew to take it away, or to dig a trench or push a car with no gas. The thinner gloves can help with cleaning around the house, or harvesting blackberries without getting torn up by briers.
8.) Several paint-quality breather masks. Toxic fires could start miles away from your home and still blow noxious fumes all over your property. The masks can also be used in case you have bad allergies to hay fever with no nearby pharmacy.
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The possibility of fires I think is fairly high. That's pretty much the first sign of trouble.. people protest and burn shit. The small bottles of liquor is also a very good idea! I'm pretty much at the self defense stage at the moment. My country has heavy restrictions on weapons so obtaining them is very difficult. I read that one must have a "valid reason", and that self defense is no longer considered valid reason. Why? The reasoning was honestly that the police are more than sufficient... I need to find the quote. I think it's safe to say that when shit hits the fan, police won't be waiting around trying to protect the citizens. They'll be getting the fuck out too.