Absolute Basics II: Food

As with water, food is an essential requirement and will be your second top priority in a survival situation. Although the urgency is less immediate than with water, with humans generally able to go around three weeks without eating, food supplies should be treated with the utmost urgency. Not least given the longer you go without food, the less physical and mental strength you will have to secure a supply of it. This is why in the short term for home scenarios, a prepared supply is hugely beneficial.

Where food differs substantially from water is the ease of acquiring more, with food generally being more difficult to acquire on a short term basis, which is why it will be necessary to move as soon as possible to begin farming and hunting/gathering, which will be your focus in the medium and long term.

Farming

Crop farming inherently requires a good degree of preparation, both in having a supply of seeds and time for the plants to reach maturity. Potatoes and corn for example usually take at least 10 weeks to grow, and if planted outside, must be planted at specific times of the year. Some greens and root vegetables can grow in much shorter periods. For example, radishes, looseleaf lettuce, pea shoots and watercress can all grow to harvestable size within four weeks (assuming reasonable environmental conditions). While certainly a good source of food, fast growing plants such as these are limited in calorie content and cannot solely provide adequate sustenance for the long term, meaning you will need to begin planting longer term, more substantial foods swiftly.

For animal farming, the easiest and most convenient option will be to keep chickens. Not are they much faster growing and space efficient than cows and pigs, but also produce eggs, which provide a good source of protein and vitamin B12. Chickens can be bought and housed relatively cheaply in a household garden or small patch of land and can be easily bred. They are also unfussy eaters and will eat everything from grubs to fruit and veg, and table scraps, making them an excellent choice for any small scale farming operation.

Hunting/Fishing/Foraging

In most climates, this can provide a significant amount of nutritious food. For hunting, the easiest methods will involve ranged weapons (ideally a bow, as arrows are reusable and can be produced yourself). Animal traps can also be made from basic materials such as rope and netting and can be used to catch small game such as rabbits.

In coastal regions or locations near rivers and lakes, fishing is a source of meat that should not be overlooked, not least as it requires only primitive tools such as a fishing pole or makeshift spear. The former requires any sturdy pole, rope or other line and a hook, while the latter can be fashioned from any bamboo or other sturdy wooden stick. One good step you can take to prepare in advance is to buy or make a good quality fishing pole/spear.

As with most sources of water, meat must be cooked over a high heat before consumption. This will require a fuel source, likely wood, meaning you will need an ability to harvest and store this.

In regard to foraging, this will be generally less reliable than hunting and growing, especially in the winter months as deciduous bushes and fruit trees die off. However, it can prove a vital source of sustenance. Due to the numerous different species of plants and their widely varied edibility, the best way to prepare for this would be to buy a guide to the plants found in your general location, so you can forage safely in a survival situation.

Looking to the longer term, there are various ways you can store meat in order to survive periods where hunting becomes scarce. If you have access to freezing capability, this would be the most convenient. However, methods such as curing by salting or smoking can also enable long term storage, which may become essential during winter months, or periods of extreme environmental volatility.