Urban Survival
If you live in a large, congested city, survival planning will look very different than for those living in remote areas. After all, a densely populated city like New York City has approximately 27,000 people per square mile, which means that even getting out may be impossible almost immediately after a disaster hits, like a major terrorist attack, or widespread riots. With luck, any disaster you face while living in a city would be relatively short, with a quick recovery of services and everyday amenities. Still, when a record-breaking blizzard hits, the city is locked down and both power and water services are lost, potentially for a week or more, a savvy prepper will be able to ride through the crisis in relative comfort and security.
In a weather-related disaster like a blizzard, your primary concerns are going to be water, food, and heat. Since municipal utilities could cease operation at any time, it’s important to keep some stored. But remember, while humans can survive for 2 weeks without food, they’ll typically only last 3 days without water (even less in very hot weather or during heavy exertion). So, while you may be imagining converting that extra large walk-in closet (in New York??) to a cornucopia of gourmet food stuffs, keep in mind that your need for water will far outstrip your need for food.
It’s recommended to store about 2 gallons of water per day per person, and that’s intended to cover consumption, food prep, washing and sanitation. A single person could buy up a pallet of bottled water and keep it stored in a spare closet or organized carefully under the bed, but a family of four is going to have a rougher time. Potable water containers from 5-gallon jugs to 55-gallon drums are more efficient, and you can even purchase cube shaped water “bricks” that can be stacked in the smallest possible space while still being small enough to be easily handled.
Food supply will be the next concern for your preparations. Humans who are generally well fed can survive without food altogether for a surprising amount of time, but it won’t be comfortable and will eventually lead to malaise, weakness, and permanent damage to the body. Better to have a good stockpile of shelf-stable food that can survive a blackout. Canned goods are a good choice, and so are freeze-dried or dehydrated food stored properly in mylar bags. Cool tip: some kinds of freeze-dried food can be reconstituted to a familiar texture for cooking, while freeze dried strawberries are delicious straight out of the bag! If you have a balcony or kitchen garden or mini-greenhouse, some fresh spinach or green beans (both of which can be eaten raw) will definitely make a welcome change to peanut butter on crackers.
Survival Outside the City
Preppers who find themselves in suburban or rural areas have many more options and probably have enough room to make more extensive preparations for emergencies, even those that could last for a month or more.
Water, again, will be the first concern. Over a month’s time, it’s hard to imagine that you’ll be able to stick to a strict allowance of 2 gallons per day per person. But maybe you don’t have to. For a family of four over 30 days, you could allot 100 gallons (25 per person) per day and store 3000 gallons for a potential emergency. That’s the capacity of 60 large barrels, but a single relatively small cistern designed to hold potable water and keep it clean. Even better, if the cistern is built on a tower or other secure structure, you’ll have (a small amount of) pressure to make it easier to draw.
If you have room in your suburban or rural yard to establish even a small greenhouse, you’ll be able to eat a satisfying, nutrient-rich diet even during a disaster that may destroy roads and infrastructure for weeks on end. This is not an unrealistic level to plan for: services after Hurricane Sandy were out in some cases for two weeks. In Puerto Rico, the wait was 11 months.
A generous amount of stored food is an immediate necessity, whether it be canned soup from the grocery store, home canned sauces, jams and vegetables, or freeze dried and dehydrated foods meats and vegetables. But an active greenhouse can provide you with a greater variety of fresh, tempting, and highly nutritious food. Leafy greens, broccoli, strawberries, ripe tomatoes straight off the vine, zucchini, melons, and even dwarf citrus trees can be grown in a greenhouse. Some vegetables and herbs you can produce are also suitable for storage in a root cellar where the temperature remains at a constant cool temperature throughout the year. There’s nothing better than pulling out jars of crisp pickled carrots and cucumbers for a quick snack, especially when the grocery stores have been out of food for weeks.
