

By Tess Pennington

Collectively speaking, most Americans take for granted the system in place to deliver essential supplies to their area. “The system,” an underlying infrastructure that keeps goods, services and commerce in America flowing creates a sense of normalcy and order. Food, water, gasoline and medications are just a few of the items restocked weekly in order for our dependent society to maintain a steady flow.

What many fail to grasp is just how fragile the system is and just how quickly it can collapse.

Our transportation systems are one of the weakest links. Mac Slavo explains:

In a 2012 report prepared for legislators and business leaders by the American Trucking Associations highlights just how critical our just-in-time inventory and delivery systems are, and assesses the impact on the general population in the event of an emergency or incident of national significance that disrupts the truck transportation systems which are responsible for carrying some ten billion tons of commodities and supplies across the United States each year. A shutdown of truck operations as a result of elevated threat levels, terrorist attacks, or pandemics would, according to the report, have “a swift and devastating impact on the food, healthcare, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors.” So too would events such as an EMP attack or a coordinated cyber-attack that could shut down global positioning systems and the computers responsible for inventory control.

The report goes on to explain that consumer fear and panic will exacerbate shortages. News of a truck stoppage—whether on the local level, state or regional level, or nationwide—will spur hoarding and drastic increases in consumer purchases of essential goods. Shortages will materialize quickly and could lead to civil unrest.

What the following graphic will demonstrate is just how quickly the descent will be. When the trucks in America stop, all commerce and delivery stops with it.

To avoid falling into this recipe for disaster, use the information presented in this graphic as a guideline to being self-reliant. Listed within the graphic are critical supplies that will disappear off the shelves at the first signs of this disaster. These are the items you want to stock up on before the trucks stop delivering. Many items such as powdered milk and canned meat are versatile supplies that can be used for short-term and long-lasting disasters.

When I wrote The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster, I emphasized the importance of having a well-rounded preparedness plan that encompasses many different types of emergency scenarios. This essential survival guide stresses how important is to have plans and supplies in place in order to be better prepared for the disasters that are on the horizon.

Create a food pantry. Creating a food supply is very beneficial to your budget. It is an investment into your future livelihood. One thing analysts and financial pundits agree on is that, in general, commodities will continue to rise. When others are buying foods at inflated prices, you will be consuming your investment when it was purchased at a lower price. Using a combination of shelf stable foods, you can create a well-rounded food supply to depend on when an emergency arises.

Creating a food supply is very beneficial to your budget. It is an investment into your future livelihood. One thing analysts and financial pundits agree on is that, in general, commodities will continue to rise. When others are buying foods at inflated prices, you will be consuming your investment when it was purchased at a lower price. Using a combination of shelf stable foods, you can create a well-rounded food supply to depend on when an emergency arises. Store water. We need water to survive – and our preps should reflect this important need. An aspect that I love the most about preppers is that we love to have back ups for our back ups. Having a short-term water supply that you regularly rotate into your kitchen will ensure you have a freshwater source to turn to during a short lived emergency. As well, having filtration systems and portable water purification tools will ensure you can purify water for longer term purposes.

We need water to survive – and our preps should reflect this important need. An aspect that I love the most about preppers is that we love to have back ups for our back ups. Having a short-term water supply that you regularly rotate into your kitchen will ensure you have a freshwater source to turn to during a short lived emergency. As well, having filtration systems and portable water purification tools will ensure you can purify water for longer term purposes. Attain needed supplies. If you are dependent on certain medications or supplies you need for your daily living, make sure you have enough to see you through a short-term disaster. The more supplied you are, the less you will have to leave your home during the emergency. As well, look into natural alternatives for medications.

If you are dependent on certain medications or supplies you need for your daily living, make sure you have enough to see you through a short-term disaster. The more supplied you are, the less you will have to leave your home during the emergency. As well, look into natural alternatives for medications. Preserve your wealth. Choose hard assets (dry goods, precious metals, land, livestock, skills, etc.) for long-term investments so they will hold their intrinsic value over time. Holding these types of investments will insulate you from inflation and other economic issues. Further, by tying your money up in assets it will help you avoid spending the money, thus furthering your cause of self-reliant living.

Choose hard assets (dry goods, precious metals, land, livestock, skills, etc.) for long-term investments so they will hold their intrinsic value over time. Holding these types of investments will insulate you from inflation and other economic issues. Further, by tying your money up in assets it will help you avoid spending the money, thus furthering your cause of self-reliant living. Become a neo-pioneer! Carve a path in life where you are no longer dependent on consuming at stores to live. Garden and grow your own food, raise livestock, learn skills to live self-reliantly, barter for goods and services.

The above graphic is a reminder of how fast our population can break down and quickly spiral into a disaster of epic proportions. But surviving during this type of scenario is possible by simply preparing for it ahead of time.

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.

Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper’s Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals.

Visit her website at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.