Prepping For City Dwellers?

[Candice]

There should be no shortage of water, just to be able to melt the snow. So in my opinion, water filters are unnecessary. Just like worrying about refrigerators, etc. Outside the window it will be so cold that you can easily put the meat out and it will be like in a freezer.

The water filters aren’t for ice-age prep. They’re for general weather/earth change chaos such as flooding, earthquakes or typhoons.

Also I live in the sub-tropics, if we get that much snow in a sudden ice-age I’ll have much bigger issues to deal with than water. None of our infrastructure is ready for heavy snow. We don’t have central heating or fireplaces.

 

[SubnetUnMask]

Yeah, I think the big things to have on hand are as follows. If I lived in an apartment I would prioritize these first:
-Food (Canned, freeze dried, frozen)
-Medications / First Aid Kits
-Supplements to maintain health
-Water storage (1 or 5 gallon drums)
-Capability to cook without power / small propane stove (fairly inexpensive and easy storage)
-Hygiene supplies.
-Some type of defensive weapon, and/or capability to barricade/secure your entrance.

If you're in the suburbs like me:
-Gas generator + 10-20 gallons of gas, with fuel stabilization.
-Backup Battery pack (I have an Ecoflow Delta) - these can run the freezer/fridge for about 8-12 hours, and recharge easily with the small gas generator
-Chest freezer
-Tools, hardware like nails, screws, bolts, maybe roofing shingles and some plywood/2x4's, standard size pipes and elbows for your area.
-Gardening tools / garden boxes
-More fuel efficient vehicle, or hybrid/electric vehicle if possible.

As for commerce? When the financial system downturns/collapses, I am guessing the dollar value is going to tank. I have been stacking silver bullion since 2010 and recently sold off some 401k for gold coins. Not really sure about crypto but I do keep a small amount of BTC in a cold wallet. Switched my 401k investments to metals and emerging markets. The C's have said having metals is a good idea, but also "needful things" - So am shifting my storage to things that can be traded: Canned foods, hygiene products, freeze dried meats (I have my own freeze dry machine), ammo, seeds (keep in freezer for long term storage). I grabbed some 5 gallon buckets and started packing white rice in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. Could be eaten or traded later, and a bucket with those in them should be good almost indefinitely (freeze the rice before packaging it, to kill bug eggs/wevel eggs).

I wonder how bad it's gonna get :|

 

[Yupo]

Hi @Yupo, thank you for the advice.

I agree the Berkey is great as it doesn’t need electricity and it’s portable enough if one can still use a car. However what I meant by “portable” was something small/light enough to carry in a backpack/bugout bag in case one doesn’t have access to a car and needs to go by foot. Thus I’m looking to get a Berkey and a straw or inline type of filter to cover as many situations as possible.

For me this is important as I live in an area prone to earthquakes and typhoons. Either of which could lead to an event where I need to be highly mobile.

The quart size Berkey (not much bigger than the filter) comes also with a plastic bottle and tiny straw filter for handbag or backpack. Only downside is that these can't use the 2nd stage (Fluoride/Arsenic). I take these when I travel other than by car. Usually I take short trips and just take filtered water with me. I see that the price has increased a lot.

myberkey.com

myberkey.com

But for home, this is better:

TRAVEL Berkey Water Filter System Includes 2 Black Berkey Filters

The Berkey Travel system offers the same great taste and purity of the water you get from your home Berkey filter, with an additional filtration step that could make all the difference on your next vacation or business trip. The Filters are filled with our unique Activated Carbon that enhances...

myberkey.com

You can make the system more affordable by using just one filter set instead of 2. You can use their filters in a homemade setup for an even more affordable system. There are some tutorials out there for methods.

 

[Candice]

The quart size Berkey (not much bigger than the filter) comes also with a plastic bottle and tiny straw filter for handbag or backpack.

Oh that’s great info! Thank you. I didn’t know any of that, I should have done more research. A good lesson in not making assumptions.

They don’t sell them in my country and I have to buy from a seller on Amazon so I’m still debating but it’s such a lovely system.

In Taiwan we’re advised not to drink the tap water so most people have reverse osmosis installed. I don’t currently have money for that so all my water is collected from a mountain spring, then I boil it.

The Berkey would be great for just general use at home but now I’m thinking about it as a portable system. Thank you again

 

[XPan]

There should be no shortage of water, just to be able to melt the snow. So in my opinion, water filters are unnecessary. Just like worrying about refrigerators, etc. Outside the window it will be so cold that you can easily put the meat out and it will be like in a freezer.

16 years ago

when i lived close to the inner city of Stockholm, I once tried to live without a fridge/freezer during winter, for 4.5 months.

There was a hole through the wall which when you open it, lets in the cold air - so the storage section in the kitchen turns into a cooling place. It actually worked.

Of course I didn’t buy food that required very low temperatures, so meat I bought had to be cooked the same day. But for most other stuff, it did work surprisingly well.

Boy, was i proud, haha. Being an “asphalt city boy” all my life, I felt it was a little special to try out something like that, living without any freezer nor fridge. The reason i did this was because i had a high electricity bill from my first marriage, and on top was 1000 kW behind. That way I was able to catch up after a half year…

It appears to be common in Swedish apartments to have a hole in the wall, where you can cool down a part of the kitchen shelve mounted at the outer wall. (I don’t know the name for this). We have it in our kitchen today, too, Nowadays also a balcony - which too can serve as food storage if it gets truly extra cold.

 

[axj]

One thing that is often overlooked is supplies to wash your clothes in addition to more obvious hygiene supplies.

Water and power are the biggest question marks. If power goes off for an extended period of time, the main problem becomes that there is no more water supply.

I live next to the ocean and got myself a parabolic solar cooker to distill ocean water for that (hopefully unlikely) case.

Without power and water, toilets will not work either for number two. So if you live in a city, it is good to have a good amount of smaller plastic bags in that case. And larger ones for all the cans from the canned food.

To keep myself sane if things go south, I also have a small solar system that is just enough to power the laptop. In the last few months I created an extensive digital library of books and movies. Even if the power stays on and “only“ the Internet goes offline, it will come in handy.

 

[michaelrc]

Ya know many chuckled when l posted kerosene lanterns and such back when there was talk about plasma lightning and what's expected such as possible grid interruptions and fried electronics.

My take is although some might think that humanities suffering has now materialized either through political and/or environmental circumstances grasping the hardships to come could be escaping so many. Thinking more in terms of your conestoga wagon had a mishap is making a lot more sense to me everyday.



Joe mentioned that once the transition of the planet does occur possible differences might not be noticed, if l understand correctly. Back to my point, l think it's going to be a heck of a long haul and acknowledging that l sometimes wonder if new words will be coined to describe.

 

[whitecoast]

Water:

• 30 gallons in 5 gallon jugs + water dispenser
• 3x 5 gallon water containers
• Miscellaneous bottled/canned beverages
• 2x Sawyer water filter
• Steripen - handheld UV to kill nasties in water
• Countertop ice maker
• Might get a countertop reverse osmosis machine, still figuring that one out

Great list! It's worth mentioning that iodine is also a powerful disinfectant of water, so that can also be used in a pinch. It's also great for (1) disinfecting wounds via its application to bandages and (2) protecting the body against nuclear and electromagnetic radiation.

Getting a ton of specialized equipment can serve a purpose, but for those starting out with prepping sometimes items that have multiple uses will tend to go farther (sometimes literally, since the more uses an item has the more likely it is to be incorporated into a bug-out-bag).

 

[SHNAGFNAY]

I have not prepared yet but I am thinking about it. But not knowing when and how that "day" arrives and unfolds leaves me wondering what, exactly, would I need? In summertime, I think I could survive, without being prepared. Water is in lakes and streams, and food can be found here and there, I would even eat snails.

So I suppose I really should prepare for colder days?

Then, suppose:
-you had everything you needed in your apartment, but the situation requires you to leave in a hurry, what then?
-you stored that ton of food in your storage/cellar/basement and it got picked and stolen right away?
-you become a target and can't stay around?

So, will people cooperate and organize, or will all go nuts, stealing and looting, when whatever happens happen?

The only idea I have then is to go "wild" and "hide" and have a real tipi with a stove or something. But that is too heavy to carry around longer distances, I guess, especially if you are alone.

 

[Rhys]

Perhaps living on something akin to Cole Robinson’s ‘Snake Juice’ could be done for a period of time, in a real pinch? The electrolytes will keep you ‘charged’ and several weeks’ supply would very easily fit into a bug-out-bag along with a small water filter. The following recipe is based on using 2L of water:

• Potassium chloride = 1 tsp
• Sodium chloride = 1/2 tsp
• Sodium Bicarbonate = 1 tsp
• Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salt) = 1/2 tsp

Having the bicarbonate to hand would be particularly useful to help ‘cool’ the kidneys if you found yourself in a situation without food for a long period of time (it helps alkalise them). It also makes a good deodorant and cleaning agent.

 

[Jo Bugman]

Then, suppose:
-you had everything you needed in your apartment, but the situation requires you to leave in a hurry, what then?
-you stored that ton of food in your storage/cellar/basement and it got picked and stolen right away?
-you become a target and can't stay around?

So, will people cooperate and organize, or will all go nuts, stealing and looting, when whatever happens happen?

The only idea I have then is to go "wild" and "hide" and have a real tipi with a stove or something. But that is too heavy to carry around longer distances, I guess, especially if you are alone.

You raise some good points. In the end, you can't prepare for every situation but it's better to prepare for some than none. Cities seems to be 'expanding' lately as people move into the suburbs, bring crime with them...

As for going wild and hiding, that's something I thought a lot about myself. It would be much easier to just prep for ourselves and slip into a nice quiet place, but if we are here to help others how would that help?

 

[Vinícius]

Perhaps living on something akin to Cole Robinson’s ‘Snake Juice’ could be done for a period of time, in a real pinch? The electrolytes will keep you ‘charged’ and several weeks’ supply would very easily fit into a bug-out-bag along with a small water filter. The following recipe is based on using 2L of water:

• Potassium chloride = 1 tsp
• Sodium chloride = 1/2 tsp
• Sodium Bicarbonate = 1 tsp
• Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salt) = 1/2 tsp

Having the bicarbonate to hand would be particularly useful to help ‘cool’ the kidneys if you found yourself in a situation without food for a long period of time (it helps alkalise them). It also makes a good deodorant and cleaning agent.

bicarbonate has a million uses doesn't it? seems potentially benefic for autoimunne & covid too


a couple other tricks i found helpful:

CO² to preserve things: say you have no vacuum sealing equipment at hand, mix a bit of baking soda w/ vinegar, the acid neutralizes it and releases carbon dioxide which is heavier than air so you can pour it on a can of food, it will displace oxygen in there and preserve contents(you can do it for many things e.g wine, herbs, etc)

removing pesticides: for people on cities where organic is not very available/realiable, check it out(TLDR; 1tbsp per liter)

 

[Anthony]

I have not prepared yet but I am thinking about it. But not knowing when and how that "day" arrives and unfolds leaves me wondering what, exactly, would I need? In summertime, I think I could survive, without being prepared. Water is in lakes and streams, and food can be found here and there, I would even eat snails.

So I suppose I really should prepare for colder days?

Then, suppose:
-you had everything you needed in your apartment, but the situation requires you to leave in a hurry, what then?
-you stored that ton of food in your storage/cellar/basement and it got picked and stolen right away?
-you become a target and can't stay around?

So, will people cooperate and organize, or will all go nuts, stealing and looting, when whatever happens happen?

The only idea I have then is to go "wild" and "hide" and have a real tipi with a stove or something. But that is too heavy to carry around longer distances, I guess, especially if you are alone.

I was also thinking about this, and yes there are no guarantees that prepping will "save us". Maybe it has more to do with information theory and our interaction with the Universe. By preparing, we could be sending out a signal to the Universe that we are paying close attention to reality, and maybe that's the most important thing.

C's comments on Noah building the Ark come to mind.

Q: (L) Well, the story of Noah tells us that Noah was told to build an ark.

A: Symbolic.

Q: (L) Yet Noah built an ark. Was it true that certain individuals, whoever they were, built boats or did things to survive that terrible cataclysm?

A: No. Look at it this way. Noah built a boat because it seemed like an enjoyable enterprise and when the flood came it came in handy, see?

Q: (L) So, you are saying that if we do what we do because we enjoy it that we will be in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing when whatever happens happens, right?

A: Close.

 

[Dave_P]

So, investing some time to getting to know your neighbors is a good practice, they may not share everything you think of, but they may help you out when needed. So having a reciprocal relationship with those around you might go a long way.

Another thing I read about is storing up on items you may be able to trade, I even heard about having female hygiene products, the economy might stop but nature and physiology carries on. Some of these items might become a rarity and quite valuable.

This point that stands out is fundamental. Knowing those around you is one of the most important steps to face possible chaotic situations. building trust and knowing if you can (or not) trust them would give you a plus in every way.

Having something to exchange is very good too, it is always convenient to have something extra out of inventory to be able to exchange. something that could also work is investing in tools, pliers, hammers, etc. etc.

The area i currently live in is more of a town, but i don't miss the opportunity to engage in a kind of barter, lately i have exchanged some knives that i forge for pork and eggs. that way you make yourself known and it's a good deal for everyone.
Personally, i think that it is not necessary to "wait for chaos to come" to do this kind of thing, and if you have any skills, also discuss them with those around you, it is a way of being productive with society.

 

[cinnamon]

Had a consult on further prepping with Stefan Verstappen the other day - he's a delight to talk to if you have nothing better to do on a Sunday evening, and he has been featured on SOTT in the past. My notes from the consult are as follows:

He prefaced things with stating that stoicism and your own intelligence take precedence here - he repeatedly comes back to this point as the consult goes.

He began by outlining items in order of which things you don't have will cause you to leave the body soonest - three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, three weeks without food - in this case, 'without air' means a medical emergency. I am seriously not prepared here, so we spent most of the first hour on assembling medical kit, with the advice that I get more first aid training ASAP.

Proposed med kit:

• Antiseptic wipes are useless, get a big bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a lot of liquid is needed to clean wounds
• Syringe with 90 degree bend for irrigating an open wound
• Isopropyl alcohol as well for cleaning
• Dettol
• Triple antibiotic cream w pain relief
• Bandages - 4x4 gauze pads
• 1.5-2" wide bandage
• hockey tape, duct tape
• 8 pressure dressings, big fluffy gauze pad w/wrap, for gunshot wounds
• band-aids, nice fabric ones, band aid roll that you can cut to size
• magnifying glass
• tweezers, big tweezers
• scissors
• safety razor
• tylenol
• aspirin
• ibuprofen
• benadryl, also an epipen if you know you need one
• antibiotics - tetracycline, amoxicillin, penicillin, advised getting "fishmox", stating that it's the exact same as intended for humans and can be purchased readily - keep in cool dark place
• thermometer
• specifically read up on what to do in the events of allergic reaction, viral infection, mentioned this was covered somewhere in his "survival library"
• triangular bandages
• antacid tablets
• baking soda
• flashlight
• flashlight on a headband
• enema kit - specified as way to use for rehydration if you can't use an IV, specified how cholera kills by diarrhea and vomiting, other things kill by dehydration and loss of electrolytes

We then moved on to shelter - mostly skipped because I live in sunny Florida - more notes:

• car blanket - can go in a backpack
• could get hit with a week of freezing temperatures
• emergency mylar blankets - they suck but they're better than nothing
• Work gloves - made out of kevlar
• Work boots, good pair of shoes, solid, track runners are okay, hiking boots, light work boots to cover ankle, don't need metal insole
• Good hat
• bandanas are great, can be soaked with water to stay cool, one in car, one in bug out bag

Now on to water:

• 1 gallon per day of water
• Miscellaneous buckets to store water in
• Add 3 drops bleach, iodine, water purification tablets, this helps to keep it stored
• Store as much water as you can in advance
• How do you purify brackish water?
  Cloth -> charcoal -> cloth again, then normal water filters
• Boiling is easiest. Bring to a boil, take it off the kettle.
• Heavily filter brackish water.
• How to carry water? 5 gallon water jug, folds flat when not in use.

This then lead to the food discussion. 6 months was his proposed minimum in terms of food storage. Stefan advised creation of what he calls "care packages" - vinyl storage bins, about 18" long by 10" high by 2.5' long, full of about 3 weeks of food each. He advised getting cans and rotating them, loading the "care packages" up with food you want to eat, as opposed to freeze dried food that maybe isn't quite so tasty. More notes...

• Flaked ham, flaked chicken, meatballs in cans,
• Brown beans and wieners.
• Include coffee, tea, sugar, salt, rice, flour?, booze, etc. Learn how to make cornbread, work with cornmeal. (He proposed learning to make bread, the last bit was my edit, as gluten and I don't get along very well.)
• Powdered milk, instant pudding. (Need to find dairy free alternatives.)
• Eagle brand condensed milk (also need to find dairy free alternatives)
• Add powdered soups, can't get enough bouillon cubes.
• Add canned vegetables. Add canned fruits, 3-4 cans of fruit per "care package". Add more dried fruits?
• Keep gravy on hand to make it tasty.
• How do I make freeze dried food tasty?
• 2 cartons of cigarettes and 3 big bottles of vodka in each container.

And now we return to his starting point about stoicism and your own intelligence... People die in disasters when they lose their wits and panic, anxiety can be paralyzing.

Need lots of cigs and booze to cope with extreme stress. Also worth more than gold and silver. Want to get people over terror as quickly as possible, booze and cigs will help hugely with this. A good meal will also help. Make soup.

A lot of long term storable food is crap - eating well helps reduce stress and anxiety.

Prioritize protein
* 1 can of tuna per week
* Canned hams
* Canned meatballs
* Spam
* Sardines
* Canned oysters
* Canned crab
* Canned shrimp
-> all greasy proteins
-> will last for 10 years

Only use freeze dried storage in case of full on SHTF. Can eat dandelion leaves as greens.

Keeping anxiety under control is everything. Anxiety will kill you.

After this, he needed to go take care of his cat, crack open a beer, and back to the show!

Now on to communications:

Assume power is out.

1) Emergency radio - useless - lame inaccurate news from officials
2) Get a small ham radio transceiver - BaoFeng UV-82HP
3) Extra rechargeable batteries, have solar
4) Also get walkie talkies, invaluable for caravans, teams - channel 3 on walkie talkies is sometimes monitored by ham radio operators

The point of prepping is to keep anxiety under control.

After getting the ham radio, get the local frequencies for local radio. Especially look for fire ambulance rescue. This has all of them. This has actual information. (

Security notes - I already have more in the way of guns and ammo than he recommends - IIRC, he's a fan of shotguns.

Fortification notes - nothing I can do here while living in an apartment, other than bracing the front door.

Getting started with community building:

Start with one other person within 20 miles. Within walking distance. Get a ham radio and set for 3 minutes in case of SHTF at a few set time periods.

Last note - he suggested that I get a bicycle and relearn how to ride a bike.