Thank you so much gc for taking the time to share that information with us...we truly hope all is well for you & you family & that your lives return to some sort of normalcy soon! I lost almost everything in the 1995 flood in Medicine Hat...as I was a renter without any renter insurance I received no assistance afterwards...I promised myself that would never happen to me again & I would never live that close to water ever....I can imagine how difficult this is and is going to be, should you need help of any kind including clean up please let us know and we will be there for you!

Thanks for that; You just gave the best explanation I have heard yet from anyone.
Between your story and Traveller it is painting a picture that is worthy of hollywood with all the action.

Getting back to your original question.......

1. Have preps for a 3-12 month bug in; well stocked pantry, water and long term food items like dehydrated.
2. Various security options, this means weapons and training. Preferably convert weapons in addition to firearms.
3. In door, off the grid growing options. Potatoes will grow in a bag of soil, just put the bag somewhere that gets sun light. Spouts will grow indoors with out much of anything.
4. Learn to scavenge for food that others may pass by; dandy lions, cat tails, pine needles, small game, etc.

If it's bad enough that people are willing to steal and even kill for food, then all you need to do is wait for a few months. Most people will leave the cities, be too weak to be much of a treat or die off.

IMHO

All great points. One thing that will help is not just having one plan.

I did not notice anyone mention the risk of toxic soil. I lived near the Plastimet fire. We were told no eating out of our gardens and to get our soil tested for the next few years. Since then I have also tried to make sure I have seeds for sprouts and well as stuff that I can grow in my fish tanks. With a water filter you will know that what is grown will not be toxic.

Also with forging and fishing; the area in which you are looking if you bug out needs to be researched first - again for toxins. Sorry posting from my phone so I cant post the link but the government web site does list what fish you can eat and how much is safe. No data base that I can find for forging.

Sorry I should have added - if the water source while bugging out is not safe then usually anything that grows in that area, lives in the water or drinks from that water - may not be safe either

Good point oldschool - I wouldn't have thought of that.

Thanks for the update and the explanation Mountainman. I'm so glad you and your family are safe and sound.

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/resources/collection/guide_to_eating_ontario_sport_fish/index.htm

The 2013 - 2014 Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish

If there is one for Ontario then there should be one for other provinces

Time to make that bio mass water filter, or sand /charcoal water filter. By the way, during the Huntsville meet, I will be selling some home made activated charcoal, and also Calcium Chloride so people can make their own, (a fair amount of work).

Or you could look at this handy PDF...
http://www.albertaregulations.ca/pdfs/fishing-regs/Fish-Consumption-Advisory.pdf

All that info is only relevant today though, albeit a good guideline. Think about it, in a SHTF situation , chemicals or raw sewer may be released in water sources making those reference unreliable. A the same time, starvation may dictate that a slow accumulation of mercury ( at the risk of cancer) is better than starving to death now.

Thanks for the links though, interesting reads.

I just finished the book "One Second After by William R. Forstchen. I would recommend everyone read it and come to their own conclusions about what is important to stock up on. Clearly, the only food you can really count on having available to you are your private stores. The rest of it (food growing on the vine, or running in the forest) should be viewed as something extra you might get every once in a while. That being said, rural and urban preppers are equal.
City folks have no excuse. They have the same opportunity to stock food as the country folks do. The fantasy that we'll all just run out and live on the farm is completely false. As far as food security is concerned, city and country folks are again equal. City folks may have to deal with outsiders sooner, but country folks will not avoid being visited by unwanted guests either.
So, in a nut shell:
Store, store, store. Never stop storing food, regardless if you have a garden or farm.
While you're at it, you might as well add some more ammo to your stores. A couple pairs of great shoes/boots can't hurt either.
That's what I got from the book. Food, ammo, shoes. Everything else was secondary, or could be obtained along the way.

Underprepared, I also just finished the book, great read! It sure was an eye opener. The end is very American patriotic and I think it might even be over enthusiastic. I'm not going to spoil it here for those would haven't read it, but. Think people have too much expectations of the military. I honestly think that in SHTF situation like that one, that many soldiers would go home to protect their families and communities. I also doubt that the military would still be able to dole out rations a year after a SHTF event. Although there are stashes, they are not infinite and they would start by feeding their soldiers. I would doubt that the Canadian Forces would be able to even feed their own for a year on the rations stored. And as for our helicopters flying after an EMP... (?)

The one thing that save them - relatively speaking - was their water reservoir. So I think where I am that water would be a HUGE issue.

I got the same lessons out of it, food, ammo, clothing AND WATER!!!

One Second After.. Excellent book.. read it a few months ago.. The thing that stuck with me was.. if they would have realized sooner, if they would have reacted quicker they could have mitigated some of the effects of the disaster. Now, after High River, I see that is how emergencies happen… we never how bad the crisis is going to evolve into..
So the train/plane just blew up and a huge part of the city is on fire. Toxic flames, and smoke are everywhere. Large sections of the city are being forced to leave… you are not allowed to go to your home… if you are at the store, or at work, or at the movie… you are on the opposite side of the city, you can’t get home.. you can’t even get to your kids, you can’t get to your food… no warning … you are cut off from all the food you have stored, and all your preps. So then the emergency or the Shit just keeps happening… & you are pushed further away, all for your own safety of course. The bridges are closed.. every road blocked with 3 to 8 police vehicles’ 2 to 4 officers in each vehicle, lights all going… Weeks go by and you are not allowed to go to work or to go home…You don’t even know if you have a home.. how will you eat? how will you survive? No one plan is going to cut it!!

Being flexible, and having lots of different options. Knowing people to stay with in different areas.. people who are not going to be alarmed at taking in someone who maybe does arrive with a completely loaded bug out bag. We may not instantly be forced to forge and hunt, so if we are forced to relocate can we have some stuff placed at different locations so we are not a burden on the host families? Do we have skills, or occupations that we could pick up employment if we had to relocate? Do we have the knowledge & mind set to think and create … even if we are separated from our preps?