How to Scavenge and Secure Resources in the Post-Apocalyptic World

How to Scavenge and Secure Resources in the Post-Apocalyptic World

 

So here we are talking about maybe a few years after SHTF and the majority of the planets population has gone. If you have watched The Walking Dead, or really any zombie movie, you will have an idea of what the environment you will be surviving in will look like (just without zombies....hopefully).

Well the world has collapsed, most of the resources have been depleted, people have looted everything like food and fuel. All is not gone however, there is a wealth of supplies left if you know where to look.

From a psychological perspective its relatively simple to understand how people are going to react once everything starts to collapse. People will flock together and follow a leader of some sort. This doesn't mean that massive groups of people will be running around together though. The flock could just be a family and some friends. These groups will then follow a pattern for survival. They will gather and hold resources. They will go and fight for supplies from local supermarkets or other common locations that they visited previously. They will use past knowledge to survive, but this wont work anymore. So what you need to do is think outside of your comfort zone and react in way that you might consider counter-intuitive to your survival.

 

Don't go scavenging in obvious  locations you should remember that large resources get hit the most. So check smaller less food orientated buildings. Check industrial estates and offices. Go to schools and retail stores. There wont be huge amounts at these places but when SHTF workers will abandon their job locations immediately to find their loved ones leaving a valuable amount of food and liquids in canteens and staff rooms. Caught up in the fight for survival, they will forget all that they left behind and will be unlikely to return for a few packets of crisps. This though is where you will differ. One industrial estate could house enough food for weeks worth of nutrition. At schools check teachers desks not just the canteens and break rooms, a bar of chocolate can last a long time thanks to the sugar content.

 

Fuel will also be hard to come by but there should be enough around in small quantities that would be very beneficial. Check sheds and garages for stocks used in gardening equipment. Again schools and government establishments hire gardeners to maintain the grounds so there could be useful tools and fuel left. You never know, you might find a motorbike that's fueled and ready to go.

Now that you've scavenged it is vital that you know how to store and secure your resources. DO NOT keep them all in one location. Other survivors will be wandering the streets like you and they might follow you back to your supplies. Split them up over several locations, approximately one or two miles apart, in opposite directions from your safe house so that whichever way you have to bug out you are heading towards one of your reserves. Canned goods and other foods that can last a long time and would be better secured under ground. Bury a month or two of food at a random location like in a forest or even in a back garden that has a lot of cover. Also if you have a vehicle never take it directly to your stockpile as the noise could alert people to your presence.

Here are some tools and equipment you should always store with each cache of supplies. The following list is not comprehensive but all of these things are vital for survival outside of food and water.
-An axe for gathering wood and fuel for starting a fire. Remember lighters and/or matches.
-Some pots and pans to cook with. Extra water for boiling is always handy.
-Blankets and a tent .You might overlook sleeping and accommodation but it is vital for survival.
-A large rucksack for transporting your supplies or to go hunting for more.
-Candles and a torch with backup batteries.
-Medical and cleaning supplies. You should always have water sterilisation tablets with these.
-Toiletries.
-Spare clothes for multiple environments(you never know when you will have to bug out so waterproof cloths, winter clothes and a good pair of boots(try to wear the boots in before you store them to prevent discomfort and blisters when bugging out).
-If the world has really gone this far then I definitely recommend something for defensive capabilities. Plenty of second-hand stores have things like crossbows so check some of those out when scavenging.

Finally just always remember to think outside the box. Something like a burger van that's already been scavenged. Just think that the van itself houses cooking and storage equipment. Usually they only use some propane tanks and they might be more available than you think. So it might be worth taking the van and locking it up somewhere as a bug out vehicle. Its big enough for sleeping in, you can store your food in it, and if its cold you can always turn on the grills.

[x_author title="About the Author" author_id="46"]