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Americans are looking to stock up on gas masks, emergency meal kits, and power banks as anxiety builds
(www.businessinsider.com)
this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2025
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I've been buying a bunch of camping/backpacking gear recently, including a couple of water filters and a bunch of freeze-dried meals I found on clearance at Costco (assorted 10-pack box for $10, or $1/meal!). I tell myself it really mostly is for camping (especially since my kids are getting into cub scouting), but I'd be lying if I said the possibility of bugging out wasn't also at the back of my mind.
I also built myself a new computer recently, and went for small-form-factor instead of a normal tower case just in case I need to move on short notice/with limited ability to bring belongings. I've also been simultaneously waffling between trying to fix a bunch of stuff on my house so that it's in good saleable condition and hesitating to spend money on stuff that can't be easily moved. It's a weird feeling.
I hear that, and in parallel, mostly essentials only, minimum amount of purchasing for months now. Not paying a dime into their precious "economy" if I don't have to. Remember too, something attributed to Eisenhower that he said to have heard from a soldier, "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything." So don't kick yourself if you think you maybe didn't plan for a certain thing. Just be ready to adapt.
I've looked at food storage as less, "preparing for a shortage" and more, "a few things I like and regularly use to cover the spread as I pivot to whatever is available." Temporary comfort during (insert random crisis here) to give some time to adapt. Keeps it from being a full on prepper living in a bunker, while keeping enough essentials on hand to cover supply chain hiccups.
Make sure you have at least one alternate communications option available, ham radio, GMRS, Meshtastic, FM radio, whatnot. The voice radios are great for talking between cars on camping trips, or for other similar reasons. The text meshes in some markets are really starting to take off, weather channels, groups for this and that, and coverage is really improving. Pretty much don't need a cell phone at this point.
See, that's where they got me: I would've liked to do the same as you, but instead I bought a bunch of stuff I would've normally waited until later to get, in anticipation that the fuckwad's idiot tariffs would jack up the price if I waited.
Don't sweat that either. While it likely plays into their game, as long as you can use the stuff anyway, just cease buying it for extended periods. "It is better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it." --Abraham Lincoln, probably
It is a tough balancing act trying to stay ahead of nonsense, especially with covid shortages still in recent memory.