Which of these has the best chance to feed you for 1-3 years in a bug out

[cigars]

Don't forget the road flares and gasoline. Oh and don't use 2 liter Coke bottles....

 

[Ura-Ki]

Welp, Bosnia was an eye opener, there was little in the way of animals left to eat after a few months of starving, and those that were left were too useful for other needs, until they weren't, then they got ate! Your chances of finding edibles was rather interesting, as most folks simply didn't know what was what, or where to look, and worse, how to handle and prepare what was there! As an example, we would find fields long abandoned, and while all the larders had been pilfered, there would still be edibles remaining in the ground, and some times not too spoiled to feed you if/when you were hungry! You would be surprised how far onions will go, even if the outside is rotting, the inner bits can still be good, and potatoes were actually in abundance if you took the time to dig for them! We would find winter wheat still good, and barley from time to time, and those were highly sought after targets for us, as we could grind it and then barter/trade for intel in the villages and small towns we visited, You wouldn't believe what a fresh loaf of bread was worth to hungry folks! Short of Birds, Bugs, and small vermin, there was NO animals in and around the area period!

 

[Hueco]

Welp, Bosnia was an eye opener, there was little in the way of animals left to eat after a few months of starving, and those that were left were too useful for other needs, until they weren't, then they got ate! Your chances of finding edibles was rather interesting, as most folks simply didn't know what was what, or where to look, and worse, how to handle and prepare what was there! As an example, we would find fields long abandoned, and while all the larders had been pilfered, there would still be edibles remaining in the ground, and some times not too spoiled to feed you if/when you were hungry! You would be surprised how far onions will go, even if the outside is rotting, the inner bits can still be good, and potatoes were actually in abundance if you took the time to dig for them! We would find winter wheat still good, and barley from time to time, and those were highly sought after targets for us, as we could grind it and then barter/trade for intel in the villages and small towns we visited, You wouldn't believe what a fresh loaf of bread was worth to hungry folks! Short of Birds, Bugs, and small vermin, there was NO animals in and around the area period!

Cities exist because of agriculture. Anyone who has read the first three chapters of a human history textbook should know that, if they decide to go hunter-gatherer, then they also need to go nomadic. It's not romantic, it's not easy, you'll probably die...but "hunting & gathering off the land" and "city full of people" aren't two phrases that generally go together.

 

[American123]

Cities exist because of agriculture. Anyone who has read the first three chapters of a human history textbook should know that, if they decide to go hunter-gatherer, then they also need to go nomadic. It's not romantic, it's not easy, you'll probably die...but "hunting & gathering off the land" and "city full of people" aren't two phrases that generally go together.

Unless you go cannibal. Yeah, these SHTF scenario's are talked about adnauseam. Research any type of prolonged war and understand what the civilian population has to do to survive and that is basically your answer.

Mammalian species would be eaten up in a hurry, to include household pets. Look up how many dogs and cats were left in European towns during prolonged instability.

Sea species are inherently less accessible, therefore, they will be available long after all the easy food has been eaten.

Plant based food is viable, but planning for, up keeping and maintaining sizable volumes to sufficiently feed someone for a prolonged period of time isn't as easy as Bloomberg thinks it is.

Best plan would be to have food needed already on hand. I figured a while ago the best case scenario would be to avoid people for 1 year. After that, if things hadn't gone back to 'normal,' most people wouldn't be around to be an issue at that point anyway.

 

[nwslopoke]

In SHTF or no rule of law, California would actually turn into a paradise. Millions of fruit and nut trees. Food literally falling from the sky. No disrespect but millions of folks from the 3rd world know how to survive on nothing. Business will be booming with the new class of 1%.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I also well remember my tour in Bosnia...
Cropland destroyed , livestock slaughtered , wells poisoned , just for spite or revenge....
Food resources may or may not be available depending on just what S hits the fan.

Some lessons learned or reinforced :
Don't let SHTF , if you can help it....
Band together...being alone makes one a easier target...
That said the bigger your group and the more resources you have...makes for a more tempting target...
Don't fight "hard" defend what you have and fight smartly...
Learn to do without what you think you need...
Being hungry is far different than starving....
Warfare / Surviving is a nasty business and takes far more work , than what you may want to or be able to deal with...
Friends , neighbors and family will be killed , raped , detained , suffer and betray you...
Pre-SHTF petty grievances will become huge and cause further strife...

As I have said in my previous posts on subjects like the OP...
Do not limit yourself in a SHTF situation with what is "best" or think that I only have this...etc..
The "best" in a SHTF is to assess the situation and use what you have on hand and what you know to survive...As well as thinking beyond your plan and gear
Andy

 

[Landhawk Arms]

Nobody said anything about not being armed for 2 legged predators and you can still shoot those with a .22, it kills more people than all other calibers combined every year....In fact I'd rather put down some fire to get everyone to hit the ground then escape. The people who think they are going to fight it out with dozens of marauders by themselves with their AR and AK are in for a dose of reality....I certainly have no delusions about fighting that many people or patching myself up while I fight after I got shot....I'd rather keep everyone's head down by dumping a mag and bolting. By the time they get back up I'm gone....

I'm talking about just gathering food. Winter time is a great example. Not a ton of edible plants available that time of year. So meat is your best bet...and you can carry 7.4 lbs of .22 for 1K rounds vs 100 ish round of say AK or AR ammo for the same weight. And I wouldn't want to be shooting rabbits and squirrels with a rifle that makes the meal explode into a fine red mist....

Incorrect on .22 killing more people than every other caliber every year. 9mm is #1 followed by .380. Then .357. Where did you get that data?

 

[HB of CJ]

Instead try to find some deep safe place where you can just disappear for the aforementioned 1-3 years. On the way grab enough high quality dry chunk type dog food for the aforementioned 1-3 years. Yumm yumm.

 

[WWShooter]

Instead try to find some deep safe place where you can just disappear for the aforementioned 1-3 years. On the way grab enough high quality dry chunk type dog food for the aforementioned 1-3 years. Yumm yumm.

I've got 200 lbs of GSD (1 male, 1 female) that don't approve of that plan.

 

[Siglvr]

Kind of to follow up what Andy said. A friend of mine said his dad would lay out a gill net once a year in early spring and feed the family smoked salmon on and off for most of the year. I asked: "isn't that illegal?" Buddy said, "yeah it was even back then, dad never got a license but he'd roll the net out at night with a small rowboat across the river. The bottom of the net is on the river bottom and the top is under the river top so it was invisible. Dad would leave it out for a couple of days, pull it out at night when everyone was in bed and no one was the wiser. He's spend a couple days smoking the fish and we ate good for the year. "

I can't speak for how effective that will be post SHTF. Certainly you might be jumped bringing fish into land. In that scenario is the city sewer and plumbing still working or is bubblegum and cholera going on and all the fish died off due to industiral waste being dumped into the water? Probably depends on the scenario. I'm a new convert to the idea of terraforming the area you live so that there is invisible food in your yard and public spaces that you know about. If you bug in, you go out and harvest when it's safe. To start that process, read up on what native americans ate in your area. Around here, there was a lot of things, lets look at one. The bulbs from Camas plants was a huge and important thing for natives. They'd dry it out via roasting on a fire, and the dried camas stored well and was good to eat for a couple of years. There are 2 kinds of Camas, they are easily identified by their flowers, but you can only see the blooms for a short period. White =death, purple = food. If you plant (purple flower) Camas plants in the greenways and parks in your area can can get it to start naturally reproducing, you will have one more food source when it's needed. In fact, it surprise me that it's not a more common decorative plant for flower borders and such as the little flowers are pretty and the plants themselves pleasant to look at.

Now, native families would actively manage their own little Camas plots, separating and moving and replanting bulbs while also harvesting. Furthermore, it is my belief that they'd fire the prairies to kill competing plants and the camas roots 5" under ground were not bothered by a wildfire. So there are things you won't be able to replicate, but you get my drift. When white people first got here they'd talk about seeing what appeared to be a blue sea of blooming Camas plants as far as you could see they were so common and grew so thick. I see a few wild ones here or there out walking the dog. Even spotting one that has bloomed, once the bloom drops they are difficult to seeAs you start learning about these plants and tossing a few here or there, you'll feel a bit more secure in your living area, making bugging in a more likely possibility where survival would be more assured in some terrible situations.

Check out Jerusalem Artichokes as a second example. They are still thick on the pioneer trail in Eastern Oregon to Idaho where they grow wild and have since the first settlers planted a few around in 1859. Their ancestors are commonly seen to this day right next to the freeway, literally growing wild mere inches from the pavement. No one eats them but the roots are there,: healthy eating, just for the digging.

They had a few spots of cattails at the industrial park I work at, I've expanded their location by moving a few and they expanded further on their own. Roots for the digging, shoots for the grabbing if the SHTF and I'm at work. There's already water there that the cattails live in, drinking water for me in an emergency as I have 2 water filters in my car.

As far as buying a bug out location. It's an excellent idea although none of us can tell you if it's a good thing for you and yours. That's for you to decide. Certainly arable land is an excellent store of wealth, although the price goes up and goes down, it's not necessarily a good investment. Having one that is close enough that you can walk or bicycle to is not a bad idea. You'd want plentiful food, and there again if you look to early natives and see where they had a large presence, you will be looking at places where food naturally was in abundance then (maybe not now with damns, irrigation projects and farming and such). If you can combine that with a place you like to go on vacations or to be alone, you'll have a comfortable rewarding place. Lots of good info out there on choosing such places and what to prioritize. However, thing of what YOU like and see if you can combine that with the new land purchase.

Sorry to be a bit longwinded there. I'd best stop now while I'm ahead GOOD LUCK!

 

[Reacher120]

Just make sure you harvest vegans. They smell funny but the meat will be better and there's a sense of satisfaction you get.

Stubb's Pork marinade is great on most anything, just sayin'

 

[Slagiatt]

If you really want a rimfire for the lightweight ammo thing, a .22wmr would be a lot more effective. I have a .22wmr bolt gun with a suppressor and its super quiet.