Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

Are you getting prepared?  Right now, millions of Americans are stockpiling food and supplies in anticipation of what they believe is coming.  People are on edge due to the approaching election, the rapidly escalating war in the Middle East, the alarming natural disasters that we have been witnessing all around the world, and the potential for another great global pandemic. 

In all my years, I have never seen more concern about the next 12 months as I am seeing at this moment. 

There is a growing consensus that major history changing events are about to happen, and there are lots and lots of people that want to be well prepared. 

In fact, Newsweek has reported that “doomsday prepping” has become a 2.46 billion dollar industry…

The once-fringe act of doomsday prepping is evolving into a booming $2.46 billion industry, tapping into a societal pulse of self-reliance amidst a world of uncertainties.

Whether driven by the aftershocks of a post-COVID-19 environment, supply-chain disruptions, natural calamities, or geopolitical tensions, the narrative of disaster preparedness is shifting from the outskirts of society to mainstream households.

When I was growing up, I never once heard the words “prepper” or “prepping”.

But now a very large portion of the population is actively preparing for the collapse of society.

According to numbers that come from FEMA, approximately 20 million Americans have prepared well enough to be able to be on their own for at least a month…

According to an analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency data, some 20 million Americans can withstand a full month of self-reliance. Within that number, there are those who identify as part of “preppers” communities online, which include enthusiasts stocking up on years’ worth of supplies or building bunkers.

Of course being prepared to survive for one month is not going to be nearly good enough to survive what is eventually coming.

But at least it is something.

These days, even Costco is marketing to preppers…

Amid Costo’s already stocked shelves of oversized jars of peanut butter and 12-pack macaroni and cheeses, there’s a hardcore new addition that is lighting up social media: The Readywise 150 Serving Emergency Food Bucket. For $100, the bucket includes 80 dinners, 30 breakfasts, and 40 energy drinks with a shelf life of—prepare yourself for this—25 long years.

“In a world where unpredictability has become a constant,” reads the description, “our assortment takes on a vital role in emergency preparedness. Imagine the sudden onset of severe weather, the challenges of unexpected job transitions, or the unsettling thought of food shortages.”

In addition to selling emergency food buckets, Costco has also become “a huge seller of gold and silver bars and coins”…

The wholesale club is also a huge seller of gold and silver bars and coins, which are extremely popular among those who are concerned about a breakdown of the financial system. (A one-ounce silver coin is currently worth about $30.)

Needless to say, it isn’t just Costco that has embraced this trend.

These days, many local supermarkets carry emergency food right on their store shelves.

And I think that is a great thing.

But for what we are eventually going to be going through, you are going to need a whole lot more than just food.

If you really want to be well prepared, you should consider everything that you will need if there is no power and you can no longer get anything from the stores because supply chains have completely broken down.

I have shared a list of 50 basic things that I believe that everyone should be stockpiling in a couple of my books, and today I would like to share that list with all of you…

#1 A Conventional Generator And A Solar Generator

#2 A Berkey Water Filter

#3 A Rainwater Collection System If You Do Not Have A Natural Supply Of Water Near Your Home

#4 A Large Emergency Medical Kit

#5 Rice

#6 Pasta

#7 Canned Soup

#8 Canned Vegetables

#9 Canned Fruit

#10 Canned Chicken

#11 Jars Of Peanut Butter

#12 Salt

#13 Sugar

#14 Powdered Milk

#15 Bags Of Flour

#16 Yeast

#17 Lots Of Extra Coffee (If You Drink It)

#18 Buckets Of Long-Term Storable Food

#19 Lots Of Extra Vitamins

#20 Lighters Or Matches

#21 Candles

#22 Flashlights Or Lanterns

#23 Plenty Of Wood To Burn

#24 Extra Blankets

#25 Extra Sleeping Bags

#26 Ammunition

#27 Extra Fans If You Live In A Hot Climate

#28 Hand Sanitizer

#29 Toilet Paper

#30 Extra Soap And Shampoo

#31 Extra Toothpaste

#32 Extra Razors

#33 Bottles Of Bleach

#34 A Battery-Powered Radio

#35 Extra Batteries

#36 Solar Chargers

#37 Trash Bags

#38 Tarps

#39 A Pocket Knife

#40 A Hammer

#41 An Axe

#42 A Shovel

#43 Work Gloves

#44 Lots Of Warm Socks

#45 Seeds For A Garden

#46 Canning Jars

#47 Extra Supplies For Your Pets

#48 A Substantial Emergency Supply Of Cash

#49 Bibles For Every Member Of Your Family

#50 A “Bug Out Bag” For Every Member Of Your Family

There are some important points that I want to make about this list.

First of all, this is not a comprehensive list.  It is simply a starting point.

Secondly, preparation is going to look different for everyone.  Your unique circumstances will dictate what “getting prepared” looks like for you.

Thirdly, you will not need your emergency food and supplies yet.

You will not need them tomorrow.

You will not need them next week.

You will not need them next month.

But the day is most certainly coming when you will need them.

If you wait until then to get prepared, you will be out of luck.

Getting sufficiently prepared for what is approaching takes an enormous amount of time, effort and energy.

But it will be worth it.

We are moving into times of immense societal chaos.  This election is going to tear our country apart, vast numbers of people will die during the wars and famines that are ahead of us, it is just a matter of time before the next global pandemic strikes, and if you live long enough you are going to get to witness cataclysmic natural disasters that are beyond anything that Hollywood has ever dreamed up.

Right now, we are still only in the very early stages of this “perfect storm”, but I fully expect global events to start moving very, very rapidly in the coming months.

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Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.