How Do You Survive the Real Hunger Games?
1. Secure Food That Stores Well (Without Turning Into a Doomsday Cartoon)
Goal: 3–6 months of calories per person, stored quietly.
- Base calories: rice, beans, oats, pasta, flour, lentils, canned potatoes, canned meat, canned fruit, peanut butter, shelf-stable milk.
- Shelf-stable fats: olive oil, ghee, tallow, coconut oil (fats are the first thing missing in famine situations).
- Comfort & barter foods: coffee, tea, salt, sugar, spices, chocolate, alcohol (not a joke — alcohol is money when systems fail).
- “Lazy reserves”: freeze-dried meals or #10 cans if you want convenience.
- Rotation rule: eat what you store, store what you eat — don’t build a museum of expired beans.
2. Have the Ability to Produce Food, Not Just Store It
Because every pantry eventually runs out.
- Grow calories, not just herbs: potatoes, squash, beans, corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts.
- Sprouting gear: 5 days from dry seed to edible greens, indoors.
- Backyard chickens: 6 hens = 1,200+ eggs/year. Eggs are protein, fat, and barter.
- Indoor grow lights / microgreens: 2 weeks to a salad.
- Know a local farmer: relationships are worth more than ammo.
3. Water: The Part Preppers Weirdly Underthink
- You need 1 gallon per person per day, minimum.
- Keep several weeks stored (not just a couple cases of Costco water).
- Own a gravity filter (Berkey, Alexapure, or the DIY ceramic type) that works without power.
- Know local water sources within walking distance.
If you can’t drink, you can’t eat, fight, barter, or think.
4. Financial and Supply Preparation
- Famine brings inflation and rationing before empty shelves.
- Hold cash (banks can close “temporarily”).
- Hold some hard assets (silver coins, not NFTs).
- Buy critical stuff now: meds, pet food, seeds, canning lids, backup cooking fuel.
- Pay off stupid debts now — famine is stressful enough without Visa breathing down your neck.
5. Energy & Cooking Without the Grid
You can’t eat dried beans without heat.
- Propane stove + filled tanks
- Butane camp stove
- Rocket stove (burns sticks)
- Solar oven (slow but works)
- Backup lighting: LED lanterns + rechargeable batteries
If the power grid sneezes, grocery logistics collapse in 72 hours.
6. Security Without Becoming a YouTube Militia
- Don’t broadcast your preps.
- Know your neighbors before the crisis, not after.
- Low-profile > high-firepower fantasy cosplay.
- A community garden with a fence is better than a “lone wolf with a can opener.”
7. Mental, Social, and Ethical Prepping
Famines destroy societies because of people, not food.
- Have a plan that preserves dignity and mutual aid.
- If you have something when others have nothing, morality becomes strategy.
- Build a micro-network of 3–5 households you trust now.
- Skills are currency: sewing, fixing, cooking from scratch, first aid, negotiation.
8. Best Single Rule
Prepare like you’re staying, not like you’re fleeing.
The fantasy of “bugging out into the wilderness” is a great way to starve in nature with raccoons laughing at you. Most famine survivors stayed put and adapted.
9. If You Want the Minimalist TL;DR
- Three months of food you actually eat
- Stored water + filter
- Way to cook without electricity
- Garden + sprouts + chickens if possible
- Cash, meds, seeds, fuel
- Quiet security + community relationships
That covers 90% of real famine survival scenarios without you turning into a ham-radio bunker goblin.
1. Core Food Storage – $160
60–75 days of basic calories if rationed, ~35–45 days if eaten normally.
| Item | Qty | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| White rice (20 lb) | 1 | $12 | Cheapest calories on Earth |
| Pinto beans (20 lb) | 1 | $18 | Protein + fiber, stores forever |
| Rolled oats (10 lb) | 1 | $9 | Breakfast, no cooking necessary if soaked |
| Pasta (12 lbs) | 1 | $10 | Cheap, fast carbs |
| Canned tuna or chicken | 12 cans | $15 | Fat + protein |
| Peanut butter (4 lbs) | 1 | $8 | Dense calories, lasts years |
| Canned vegetables | 12 cans | $10 | Adds micronutrients, morale |
| Canned fruit | 8 cans | $9 | Sugar + hydration |
| Canned potatoes | 6 cans | $6 | Ready-to-eat carbs |
| Tomato sauce/paste | 6 cans | $6 | Helps with “rice/beans fatigue” |
| Salt (4 lbs) | 1 | $3 | Critical for health + food storage |
| Sugar (10 lb) | 1 | $6 | Cheap calories + baking |
| Shelf-stable milk (6 cartons) | 1 | $9 | Protein/calcium, no fridge |
| Cooking oil (1 gal) | 1 | $9 | Fats are the first thing to disappear in famine |
| Multivitamins (generic) | 1 bottle | $10 | Insurance against scurvy & rickets |
Subtotal: $150–$165 depending on store.
2. Water & Purification – $40
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 10 gallons stored water (jugs) | $15 | Minimum 10-day reserve |
| Sawyer Mini filter or Lifestraw | $20 | Long-term drinking safety |
| Unscented bleach (1 gal) | $5 | Can purify 3,800+ liters of water |
Subtotal: ~$40
3. Cooking Without Power – $55
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Butane camp stove or single-burner propane stove | $25–$30 | Indoor-safe if vented |
| Butane 4-pack or 1 small propane cylinder | $12 | Fuel for ~20 hot meals |
| Bic lighters (4-pack) | $4 | Fire = survival |
| Cheap stainless pot + lid (Thrift store if needed) | $8 | Lids save fuel |
Subtotal: ~$50–$55
4. Other Critical Items – $35
| Item | Cost | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| First aid basics (bandages, antiseptic, pain meds) | $12 | Minor injuries matter in famine |
| Trash bags (contractor grade) | $8 | Water catch, storage, sanitation |
| Duct tape | $5 | Fix anything |
| 2-pack mylar emergency blankets | $4 | Heat retention if power fails |
| Seeds: beans, potatoes, greens | $6 | “food after food” plan |
Subtotal: ~$35
💰 TOTAL: $290–$300 depending on store & brand
Leaves ~$5–10 wiggle room for:
- Instant coffee (barter + morale)
- Extra spices (curry, garlic, chili)
- Ramen (cheap calories, 30¢ each)
- Dental care (very underrated in collapse scenarios)
🧠 What This Plan Actually Covers
✅ ~50,000–60,000 calories in reserve
✅ Complete protein sources (beans, tuna, peanut butter, milk)
✅ Fats (oil, PB, tuna) — famine gold
✅ 10+ days of water + long-term filtration
✅ Ability to cook if grid goes down
✅ Basic medical & sanitation needs
✅ Seeds = reboot food cycle if supply chains stay broken