PREPPER: When Grocery Stores Go Empty, These Four Foods Will Help You Survive

PREPPER: When Grocery Stores Go Empty, These Four Foods Will Help You Survive

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The latest from the prepper world

The only thing preppers fear more than masses of unprepared people during an emergency, is being one of those people. That’s why our ultimate nightmare scenario would be not having any non-perishable food on hand during a serious disaster. However, there’s plenty of reasons why an otherwise prepared person might not be prepared when the SHTF.

You could be out-of-town or out of the country, visiting family members who aren’t preppers. Or perhaps you’re having financial problems. So maybe you’ve had to dip into your food supply, or if you prefer buying canned food over freeze-dried food, you haven’t been able to restock items that have spoiled. Or perhaps you’re new to prepping, and you haven’t gotten around to building up a food supply.

Whatever the case may be, you should ask yourself, what would you do if you were one of those people who race to the grocery store at the last-minute during a disaster? Before you answer that, you have to consider the very real possibility that by the time you reach the grocery store, the shelves will be at least partially stripped.
The first food items that will sell out mostly consist of things that are already cooked or prepared in some way, including canned foods, frozen dishes, and bread. Fresh meat and eggs would also disappear pretty fast, despite the fact that they need to be cooked.
Ideally, you want to avoid this scenario altogether by prepping beforehand. In The Prepper’s Cookbook, Tess Pennington highlights key strategies for building an emergency pantry. This takes planning, so if you haven’t already done so, start today. Ideally, you want to store shelf stable foods that your family normally consumes, as well as find foods that are multi-dynamic and serve many purposes. These are the 25 foods she suggests that preppers should have in their pantries.
Have a Back-Up Plan For the Grocery Store
If you end up having to rush to the grocery store during an emergency, you should be prepared to employ a different strategy for finding food. If, when you arrive at the store, there are already a lot of people grabbing the low hanging fruit like canned foods, bread, etc., don’t join them. You’re probably only going to find the scraps that they haven’t gotten to yet. Instead, move immediately towards the food items that won’t disappear as quickly, and can substitute the foods that everyone is going to fight over first.
To employ this strategy properly, you only need one thing. Something to cook with that doesn’t require the grid, such as a camp stove with a few fuel canisters. You’ll need something like that, because many of the food items that disappear later in the game, tend to need some preparation.
These Four Emergency Food Alternatives Can Keep You Alive
So with that said, what kinds of foods should you go after when you arrive at a grocery store later than everyone else?

• Instead of bread, go straight for the flour. Don’t worry if you can’t find any yeast. You can always make hardtack, tortillas or naan. You might also find that the sacks of dried rice and beans won’t disappear until after the canned foods go. When combined, these two make a complete protein and are perfect for emergency food meals. Keep cooking times in mind with the beans and go for small beans like navy or lentils.
• If you find that the produce section is stripped bare, go to the supplement aisle instead. There you’ll find all of the vitamins and minerals that are normally found in fresh produce. Look for food based or whole food vitamins. You’ll also find protein powders that can at least partially substitute fresh meat. As well, look for seeds to sprout. Sprouts provide the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes of any of food per unit of calorie. Enzymes are essential because they heal the body, cleanse the body, prevent diseases, enhance the overall functioning of bodily organs, aids in digestion, and removes gas from the stomach.
• If fresh meat or canned meat is gone from the shelves, a substitute for is dog food. Though this may disgust most people, desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s really cheap and packed with protein. The only downside, of course, is that pet food usually doesn’t face the same health standards as human food. If it can be helped, go for the wet food instead of the kibble. Though you’ll probably be fine eating any dog food for a couple of weeks, dry dog food isn’t as safe as wet food. Plus, the cans of wet food will be much more hydrating.
• And finally, instead of trying to find butter, which will be one of the first food items to disappear, try looking for alternatives. Remember, you need fats in your diet. Healthy oils like coconut oil or avocado oil provide healthy nutrition and canI be used for cooking, added to coffee, oats, beverages, and other foods. In addition, one of the most nutrient dense foods that are often forgotten during emergency food planning is in the health aisle. Look for granola and nuts. Nuts are calorie dense and full of fiber to help you stay full longer. Due to the high protein count of this natural food, it can be an efficient meat replacement too. Look for non-salted nut varieties to keep you hydrated longer. It’s packed with calories and can go weeks without spoiling when it’s not refrigerated.  Read more about the ideal bug out meal plan here. Alternatively, if all the healthy oils and nuts have been taken, look for some lard. It’s sometimes labeled “manteca.” It will probably be overlooked, but has just as many calories as butter, and lasts a really long time.

Of course, many of these items aren’t the best tasting or the most healthy. They’re certainly not ideal. But then again, neither is being caught in a disaster without your food preps. If you arrive at the grocery store before everyone else, by all means, go after the good stuff. However, if you aren’t lucky enough to beat the crowds, now you know what kinds of foods you should grab first.

How to Prepare Your Home for Blackouts

In my younger days, every time the power went out, I’d kick myself for not being better prepared. The kids would scream for me from wherever they were in the house. I’d conduct a frantic search for flashlights only to discover the batteries were dead or missing.

Do you know how hard it is to search your home in the dark? It’s amazing the number of things that feel like a battery when it’s pitch black! I’d find myself doing this ninja in the dark search almost every time and I’d swear next time I’d be ready. But the lights would come back on after several minutes or hours and life’s other obligations would take over. Like so many other people getting prepared took a backseat to life.
Then, came the blackout in August of 2003. No storm, just intense heat and the power went off in the middle of the afternoon all over Northeast Ohio. Determined not to be without lights overnight, I dragged the kids to the drug store two blocks away for ice, flashlights, and batteries. A security guard with a flashlight was escorting people through the store one at a time. The computers weren’t working and cashiers were only accepting cash so if you didn’t have cash, you were out of luck.
The line to get in the store when we came back out with our supplies was already around the block and I heard the security guard tell people waiting that the store was closing. Had I not gone to the store immediately, we would have had no ice, flashlights, or batteries. As it turns out, the power outage that time lasted two more days for us and up to a week for others in our area. When the power finally came back on, I was even more determined to be ready for future blackouts. Here’s how I did it:

Create a Family Power Outage Plan

Strategically store flashlights and other alternative light sources throughout the house so everyone has immediate access to light. During a power outage or blackout, you’d be amazed at how disorienting it can be to walk in the dark, even in your own home. Without that nightlight in the hall or the light that shines in from the street light outside, your home is pitch black! The potential to trip and fall or run into something multiplies tenfold in the dark.
If you have younger children, it’s a good idea to store a glow stick near their beds. Show them how to activate it, and instruct children to stay in their beds or rooms during a power outage until you come to get them. Give older children, ten years and up a hand crank flashlight or a fully charged headlamp to store near their bed.
Choose a designated meeting place on each floor. Kids often misplace or wear down the battery in their flashlights. They should know to either stay in their rooms till an adult comes or go to the meeting place for the floor they are on rather than attempting to navigate stairs in the dark.
So, in addition to a basic emergency power outage plan, what else can you do? Quite a few things, actually.

Ways to Prep Your Home for Blackouts:

Prepare a Blackout Box

It’s a good idea to prepare a blackout box for your home and possibly one for your car and even your work office. A blackout box is simply a waterproof box or other container that holds everything you might need in the case of a blackout. Having a blackout box keeps you from having to search all over the house for needed items.

Blackout Box Items include:

• An extra set of house and car keys
• Extra cash
• Flashlights and extra batteries
• Extra mil-spec glow sticks (these are EMP-proof)
• Candles
• Fire starting supplies (so you can start the grill, propane stove, or outdoor fire for cooking)
• Small fire extinguisher
• Fully charged cell phone battery
• Cell phone charger for your car (you may be able to charge your cell this way in a blackout)
• Written list of phone numbers and contact info for nearby relatives
• Instructions or manuals for lanterns and other non-electric equipment
• Tools needed to shut off utilities
• Emergency weather radio (with dual power options such as hand crank or solar power)
• First aid kit

Optional: you many want to make a DIY Faraday cage to protect your electronics from electromagnetic EMP pulses.

Power Preps

• Replace the battery in your alarm clock regularly so it will work even in an outage.
• Charge your cell phone any time the battery life drops below 50% to increase the likelihood that it will be fully charged when a blackout occurs.
• Consider buying a portable or even a full-sized home generator that you can rely on in many other emergencies as well.
• Include a small folding solar panel setup in your BOB and research ways to at least install a solar power system as a backup to prep your home for blackouts.
• Store a fully charged portable power bank to power your cell phone and other electronics.

Lighting Preps

Most people prepare for a blackout by stocking up on battery powered flashlights and candles or lanterns. These are both good options to have on hand. I definitely recommend you keep at least one or two high-quality tactical flashlights in your home ready to use at any time. But those of you with children and grandchildren will understand the struggle over having a working flashlight AND batteries when you need them.
One of my favorite things to have on hand in blackout is several hand crank flashlights. These never need batteries and provide light via three bright LED bulbs. Unless the hand breaks, it’s going to provide bright light with minimal effort. My Energizer Carabiner hand crank flashlights have been on hand three years now without fail.
I’ve yet to pick one up, crank the handle, press the button and be without light. If the light is weak then I crank it a few times as I head down the hall or wherever I’m going and I have great light. The kids and grandkids can operate them safely and thus far they have proven to be indestructible.

Food and Water Preps

One of the biggest threats to your survival and a big reason to prep your home for blackouts has to do with food and water. In today’s society, we have come to rely heavily on running water in the home and the electrical refrigeration and freezing of food as a way to preserve it.
Keep in mind that if your freezer is full and you keep the door closed, food will stay frozen for approximately two days. But if your freezer is only half full when the power goes out that time drops to about twenty-four hours. Once you see food starting to partially thaw, you will need to cook it.
Prepare your home for blackouts, EMPs and CMEs. More >>
Cooking food means you’re good for the next 24, maybe 48 hours if you keep the leftover cooked food in a freezer. If the temperature in your fridge or freezer goes above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours, you’ll probably need to discard it. Even if the power comes back on, trying to refreeze completely thawed food can make you sick. You will need water properly stockpiled to use for things like cooking, hygiene, and flushing the toilet until the power is restored.

Make sure you have an alternative way of cooking food, especially for those with electric stoves. Refrigerators and freezers don’t work without electricity which means stockpiling canned foods and home canned foods are a great weapon in your arsenal to prep your home for blackouts. A propane or charcoal BBQ grill is a great back up cooking method during blackouts because its size will allow you to cook that meat from the freezer quite quickly. Some people choose to build a solar-powered oven which is great if climate allows for it.

Heating Preps

Another area to consider when you prep your home for blackouts is your heating needs, especially if you live in a climate where blackouts could occur during cold weather. Even indoors, hypothermia can be a very real threat to anyone but especially for children and the elderly. There are a number of different options for staying warm without electricity during a blackout so simply choose the option or options that will work best for your home and your situation.
Also consider a butane or propane stove (+ fuel), wool blankets and, as a means of last resort, a clay pot heater.

Steps to Take During a Blackout

Implement Your Family Power Outage Plan. Everyone should know what to do when the power goes out and have either a glow stick or flashlight within reach. The family will meet in the predetermined room of the house and decisions can be made as to what happens next. This is the point where you figure out which cell phones still have power and confirm everyone is unhurt and has a working glow stick or flashlight, etc.
Determine as much as you can about the power outage. Knowing why your home is without power will give you a better idea of how long the outage could last. A power outage lasts several hours or more, whereas brownouts and blackouts can last for several days or even weeks. Check outside to see if streetlights are working or if lights are on in your neighbors’ homes. If streetlights are out, call a family member outside the area to see if they have been affected by the outage also. If streetlights are on or neighbors appear to have power, someone needs to check fuses and breakers in your home first.
Protect yourself and your home from any further damage. While you wait for power to come back on, unplug electronic appliances and major appliances to prevent damage if and when the power comes back on its own.
Notify your utility company of the power outage if you do not have any indication that they are aware of the problem. Don’t assume “they must know” because if everyone in the area does that, it could be hours before they discover the outage during routine procedures. Calling them may also give you information about an estimated time of restoration as well.

Possible Reasons for Power Outages (and How to Help Prevent Them)

Blown fuse or an overloaded breaker or circuit in your home can cause a temporary loss of power. One of the best ways to prevent this is to inspect fuses and circuits regularly. Replace fuses on a regular basis or keep a spare ready to swap it in as soon as a fuse blows. Be conscious of how your home is wired and which power outlets are connected to the same circuit. Do your best not to overload a circuit by turning on or plugging in too many things at once that are on the same circuit.
Old trees can fall or snap at any time and fall onto power lines. Inspect your property every time you mow the grass and at least three or four times in the winter months. Look for any trees that appear weak from rot, have dead hanging branches, or seem to be leaning too far and take care of them. Prior to the start of severe weather season, take time to prune dead branches and remove any dead trees that could fall onto the power lines if loaded with ice or snow.
An overload in the power grid occurs for many reasons but one way you can do your part to prevent an overload on the grid is to only use the power you need when you need it. This means prep your home for blackouts by shutting off lights and unplugging electronics and appliances that aren’t in use. Use air conditioning and fans only when the weather is hot and miserable instead of keeping it on 24/7 all summer.
Severe weather is the most frequent cause of brownouts and blackouts in many areas. Storms that bring high winds, hail, ice, or heavy snow can bring down power lines and cause issues that can’t be predicted. The only way to prevent loss of power for your home during a storm is to be prepared with a generator or other forms of non-electric power.
A motor vehicle accident that takes out a power pole or lines can wreak havoc on an entire neighborhood and sometimes an entire town. Do your part by driving defensively and responsibly. Avoid driving when you are overly tired, don’t text while driving, and refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
No matter how vigilant you are at preventing power loss, there will be power outages and blackouts that you cannot predict or prevent. If you create a family power outage plan and consider how to prep your home for blackouts in the categories we mentioned above, you’ll be pretty well prepared for the next power outage in your home. Have you experienced a power outage? Did you feel prepared or were you doing a ninja search in the dark for supplies?

 

Video: 10 Things YOU should consider (NOW) to prepare for CHAOS

 

Stuff to Store for Bartering

The economy is far more fragile than people realize. But it wouldn’t even take a total economic collapse to give bartering renewed popularity and prominence. A partial economic collapse will make ordinary necessities available only sporadically, at much higher prices, resulting in a need to barter. Alternately, any situation that makes money far less valuable, such as rapid inflation, will give the advantage to bartering. So when you are deciding which goods to store for your own use, consider storing some additional quantities or types of stuff that might be good for bartering. I have a few suggestions.

Seeds
When the SHTF and the grocery store shelves are stripped bare, the unprepared (also known as unpreppers) will think to themselves, “I should start a garden to grow my own food!” Great idea! But by then it will be too late. The local sources of gardening seeds, fertilizer, and equipment will be sold out. Online sources too. Suddenly a dollar packet of seeds will be much more valuable.
So if you have enough seeds for your own survival garden, you could barter some stored seeds to your unprepped neighbors. You can also save seeds from each garden harvest, dry them, and barter those seeds as well.
As a barter item, seeds keep well, take up little space, and will be widely sought after. They should represent a good return on investment, in that they are cheap now, and they will be worth much more later.

Instant Coffee
Buy the kind with caffeine, freeze-dried, any major brand. Even if you don’t care for the stuff, coffee is going to be in short supply and high demand. Certain crops are easy to grow in the U.S., such as corn, wheat, soy, rice, etc. But coffee plants are tricky to grow and time-consuming to harvest. So the availability is always teetering on the edge of a cliff. Demand for coffee never goes down, even when people have little money, it’s one of the last things that people will give up. So price can easily skyrocket.
Coffee keeps well, takes up little space, and is very popular. You can’t go wrong storing some freeze dried coffee for bartering purposes.

Vegetable Oil
Preppers tend to favor certain foods for storage: grains, dried beans and other legumes, canned goods, a few other things. But I think vegetable oil tends to get over-looked or under-valued. You need more dietary fat than you realize. Now, you are getting a lot of fat from foods like cheese, meat, junk food, restaurant food. But when you are eating from stored foods, most of those things are low in fat. So you will be using more veggie oil then, than you do now.
Vegetable oil is easy to store, but you have to keep an eye on the expiration dates. When the SHTF, it might be a good bartering item. Veggie oil makes your stored food much more palatable. You can use stored flour and some yeast to make fried dough. You can take rice, which can be tedious to eat frequently, and fry it up with a few veggies from the garden and a generous amount of oil, and make fried rice. Yes, you will want plenty of veggie oil, when the grocery store collapse occurs, and so will your neighbors. So it’s a good bartering item.

Books
When the SHTF, the internet is probably going to get broke real quick. No power, means no internet, of course. But other stuff can happen. Suppose there is a major war somewhere. Well, in this day and age, hacking is a weapon of war. The enemy will try to cause harm to our society by hacking or by taking down the internet. So loss of the internet, for some period of time, or intermittent outages, may become a fact of life.
After a few days of being without the internet, people are going to remember that you can also get information from things called “books”. And those books are going to suddenly rise in value. Which topics will be most in demand? I think the useful subjects, like: gardening, home repair, car repair, self-defense, first aid and other medical books. But it might also be the case that works of fiction will be in demand as electronic forms of entertainment generally depend on power, internet, and cable services — which may not be up and running.

Supplements
Disruptions to the food supply during a major disaster are highly likely. But stored food is always limited in variety and some nutrients. So I think it’s prudent to store a multivitamin or a few different supplements, for use when the SHTF. I like the One-A-Day Men’s Health multivitamin. But certain other supplements are also good: vitamin D, zinc, lycopene, etc.
A long-term disaster might also affect the healthcare system. So using a supplement will be important to reduce risk of illness in the first place. That’s a big advantage.
Will a multivitamin be suitable for bartering? I’m not sure. Some people will understand the usefulness of a supplement. But others will be so focused on necessities, that the importance of preventative health measures may be lost on them.

Purified Water
Now here’s an idea for an unusual bartering item: purified water. If you have water purification equipment, during a time when there is no power (for boiling water) and the tap water supply is contaminated, your purified water is valuable. You could trade a 2 liter bottle of purified water for whatever items your neighbors might offer. You could trade work in your garden for food and water. Yes, a combination of food plus purified water is probably the most enticing bartering item.

Questionable Bartering Items
This next list of items for bartering is questionable. I have some reservations about each one, for various reasons. I personally would think twice before bartering these things. But it’s worth discussing, and you can use your own judgment.

Guns and Ammo
First, obey all local, state, and federal laws on firearms and ammunition. I don’t know whether bartering these items is legal in your jurisdiction. So that is the first concern.
The other concern, which should be obvious, is that after you have bartered a gun and ammo for some food, the person can rob you at gunpoint of that food. Rookie mistake, am I right?
In some cases, though, it might be a reasonable trade. If you and your neighbor know each other well, and you both are well-armed anyway, you might trade some ammo that you have, for ammo that you need. They are no better armed before or after the deal. Just be very careful as desperate times can change people for the worse.
Most of the time, you are just better off keeping your guns and ammo off of the bartering market.

Prescription Meds
It is, of course, not legal to barter with prescription medications of any kind. But law and order might fall apart at some point. And then, if you need meds, what can you do? I don’t have any advice in that situation.
Antibiotics are perhaps a special case. You can buy antibiotics on the grey market, offered as fish antibiotics. They are the same antibiotics made and sold for human use.
I had a minor medical issue a few years ago. No physician would prescribe an antibiotic for me, though I was convinced that is what I needed. I eventually put myself on a fish antibiotic — type, dosage, and length of time as stated in online medical resources. And that cured the disorder completely. So, I’m sold on the idea. But it is not without its risks.

Cigarettes
The legality of bartering for cigarettes is questionable. But maybe you could fly under the radar if you are doing some low volume bartering. And once law and order breaks down, no one will care. But if you don’t smoke yourself, I’m not sure how much money and space you want to devote to cigarettes for bartering. I prefer items that I can also use, which will be bartered if I find I have more than I need.

Alcohol
When times are difficult, alcohol is in high demand. Hard liquor is worth more per ounce, so it takes up less room in storage. It is flammable, and prone to pilfering by pesky teenagers, so storage is tricky. I would think that hard liquor in medium sized bottles, would be best. Your bartering customer might not have anything of sufficient value to trade for a large bottle of high-quality vodka.
Again, the legality of bartering alcohol is questionable. You don’t have a liquor license, so I would keep this type of bartering for closer friends and family members. You don’t want people banging on your door at all hours, demanding a drink.

Summary
My personal preference is to barter with stored items that I will use myself, also. That strategy makes the most of limited money and storage space. I would shy away from bartering stuff that is in a legal grey (or not-so-grey) area, but maybe that’s just me. You can also barter with your work or your knowledge, to help a neighbor start a garden, for example. So there are many options. Keep prepping.

New To Prepping? 12 Tips To Get You Started

Getting started in prepping can be a daunting task and one can easily get overwhelmed. With the headlines of today, it is easy to feel a huge sense of urgency to get ready NOW – with many giving up because they just don’t have the money or the time to invest. These myths could mean the difference between having taken the necessary steps to prepare – or not.
One point that needs to be made is that everything does NOT have to be done at once. While I would not suggest any further hesitation baby steps will get you in a much better position than not starting at all.

12 PREPAREDNESS TIPS

1. Store What You Eat – It is not necessary to purchase a years supply of food all at once, nor is it required to buy expensive freeze dried products. When doing regular grocery shopping throw in a few more cans of beef stew, corn, and a couple bags of rice. Build the pantry with every trip and over time.

2. Store Extra Water & Get a Water Filter – Water is fairly cheap with a case of pure bottled water running under $3.00 for 24 bottles. Stacking 10 in the corner of the garage is a great start. Soft drink bottles can be washed out and refilled with water from the tap. For most who throw these bottles away, this is an ultra-low budget water storage method.
A good water filter will be extremely useful should water stop flowing from the faucet. A couple of Sawyer Mini Water Filters will filter thousands of gallons of water. Add a Sawyer Water Filter Bucket Kit and filter water for the entire family.

3. Have a Plan to Bug Out – With the dangers that this world presents the need to relocate or “bug out” is certainly one to consider. If something should occur in your area and bugging out is needed a plan should be made well ahead of time.
It may be as simple as going to Aunt Besty’s out in the country 30 minutes down the road – or traveling to the State Park located a couple towns over. Regardless, have a plan of action.
Oh – and make sure everyone in the family knows this plan in case communications are down and not everyone can get home. A secondary meet up point is also a good idea.

4. Don’t Get Caught Up In Specifics – While you may have had your interest in preparedness peaked after watching a Youtube video on EMP – there are much more likely threats that exist daily. With this in mind cover the basics of preparedness – food, water, medical, defense, shelter.

5. Don’t Focus on One Area of Prepping – In planning your preparedness effort do not focus on one aspect of preparedness. Do not say, “Well, I’ll get my food stocked up and then go to water.” This is a common practice and all areas should be worked on over time so your preparedness system remains somewhat balanced.

6. You Do Not Have To Spend a Fortune – Most of the basic supplies needed to be put back can be purchased at the grocery store, dollar store, and discount stores such as Wal-Mart. Think about what would be needed for going camping. A massive solar system costing $10,000 is not needed(but would be nice!).

7. Educate Yourself  – A boatload of preparedness information is available on the Internet.  Read articles, watch YouTube video’s, and most importantly use some common sense when getting this information. Fear mongering is everywhere.

8. Keep Your Car at Least Half Full and a Full Gas Can At Home – Gas lines and shortages don’t bode well for an expedient departure when your car is running on empty. Keep it at least half full and have a reserve.

9. Put Together a Bug Out Bag/Kit – Using the camping analogy again review needed supplies once the bug out location is reached. Typically using a backpack is recommended however I prefer a rugged tote box for storing supplies. This tote could be kept in a car trunk/SUV – or in the home. Point being a kit needs to be put together so that if needed it can be “grab and go” scenario.

10. Prepare Yourself….Mentally – No doubt you’ve thought of a variety of situations that may occur. Now is the time to visualize them over and over in your mind. The purpose of this is to prepare mentally for what might happen BEFORE it actually occurs.  Should some unfortunate event take place you will be more mentally prepared due to the visualization exercises conducted.

11. Purchase a Firearm If You Do Not Own One – There are a variety of situations where the need for firearms could come into play. Civil unrest, rioting, crime waves, etc. can cause innocent citizens to become violent crime victims. Even the playing field by having a firearm.
If you read this and go out and buy a gun make absolutely certain you also purchase training. The mere ownership of a firearm does not constitute the ability to use it and defend yourself.

12. Alternate Forms of Cooking – If the grid goes down preparing meals will still need to take place. While most of us have gas or charcoal grills at home how much fuel is available? How about a firepit along with enough wood to last? A propane camp grill with a dozen or so canisters is a good start. Extra propane tanks for your gas grill are fairly cheap. Charcoal? Stock up on sale and keep it dry.

Mykel Hawke "Preparedness: #1 Ranked Survivalist Speaks"