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In the event our resident gets us into a war or other conflict, there will be supply chain disruptions. Assuming that you've already stashed some staples, what other thing are you stocking up on?

I've been picking up some parts kits of general purpose parts for electronics and electrical work, since that's what I do. Things that I could potentially cobble other stuff back together with, components, cable, etc. All of that stuff comes from overseas, and may be harder to get at some point.

What are you buying?

In the event our resident gets us into a war or other conflict, there will be supply chain disruptions. Assuming that you've already stashed some staples, what other thing are you stocking up on? I've been picking up some parts kits of general purpose parts for electronics and electrical work, since that's what I do. Things that I could potentially cobble other stuff back together with, components, cable, etc. All of that stuff comes from overseas, and may be harder to get at some point. What are you buying?

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[–] • 3 pts

There's lots of "stuff" that would be good to stock up on, but I think far more important than actual stuff is skills.

Food is great, but the skills to grow and preserve food (in the absence of reliable electricity) will be invaluable.

As for tools, definitely hand tools, but also the skills to actually make tools. Granted, you probably aren't going to be able to make a tool that is as good as a vintage one (that's been kept in reasonable condition). But, the skills to make tools can also be used to repair and restore tools. The ability to make new tools from what is otherwise considered junk will be highly valuable. Make a hammer head from some old steel axel, or a chisel from an old car spring.... or a sword.

Skills that you could consider learning: - Blacksmithing - Carpentry - Horticulture (or pretty much any form of agriculture, generally small scale non-mechanized) - Animal husbandry - Food preservation and preparation (canning, pickling, drying, fermenting, etc, also preparation of basic ingredients, like flour making) - Herbal medicine - Fiber processing (wool, cotton, linen... again, non-mechanized) - Bee keeping (honey, bees wax, propolis, crop fertilizaton) - Pottery - Machining (use of lathe, milling machine, etc) - Mechanics (repair and maintenance of motors and other mechanical machines, particularly vintage) - ...

Of all the crafts, I think blacksmithing is probably the most useful in a collapse scenario, though all of them (and more) will be necessary to some extent. With blacksmithing, you can work steel into the shapes you require, join steel without needing a welder (and welding rods) and probably most importantly, you can make other tools: Hammers, chisels punches, spanners, pliers/tongs, cutting tools and more. With enough skill and practice you can even make guns and other weapons from scratch. You can also make the hardware required for other crafts: hinges, latches, brackets, nails, bolts, etc. After blacksmithing, I think carpentry would be the next most important. With these skills you can convert pretty much any wood into many useful items and other tools. The most important will be building shelter, furniture and other tools.