In the current environment of social distancing, closed restaurants, and quarantines, we are facing shortages everywhere and unprepared people are panicking. If they had followed simple wisdom that has been around for thousands of years, they would be calm.
The wise store up food & olive oil, but the fool gulps theirs down.
-Proverbs 21:20
Now, toilet paper isn’t exactly olive oil, but the concept is the same.
What can a person with limited means do to prevent such a shortage in the future and be ready, while following the tactical wisdom from the Bible?
For food, each trip to the grocery store, I bought two or three items of canned or long-term storage food and stored them completely separate from the day-to-day food supplies that we use. In a relatively short period, you’ll have weeks of food stored up, long term. Remember to rotate food from the storage to regular use, to ensure that stored food doesn’t expire before you use it.
When buying long term storage food, it’s better to buy it in smaller cans rather than larger ones, because if there is no power, you won’t have a refrigerator to store the unused amount. Also, smaller cans be carried in backpacks for local patrolling/foraging trips, and is more portable if you have to leave the area.
The same thing can be done with most household goods that you might need.
Let’s consider toilet paper, in light of the current situation. Buy double your normal amount for a couple of shopping trips, then set aside the extra. Once you have a 3 to 4 week supply of extra, you can set it aside and never use it, except in an emergency.
You can do this with any staple supply. I also do it with batteries, because you’ll always need batteries. I’ve also done it with candles, flashlights, medical supplies, and clothing.
Yes, I said clothing. Many people consider ammunition, food, and toilet paper, but they never consider clothing. Have you considered where you will buy underwear if stores are closed long term? Or pants? Clothing doesn’t begin to wear until you put it on. You can buy a few extra packages of underwear or other clothing, and store them away. From a health perspective, it’s a vital element that often gets overlooked and it never goes bad.
Historically, humans used to gather all year in preparation for the winter, when there was less forage to be found. Our modern society has made us lazy and allowed us to put ourselves at risk. Most houses in the 1800s had about 8 months worth of food stored, today it’s generally 48 hours.
By going back to Biblical principles, we can prepare ourselves to weather any disaster.
Tactical Wisdom 