“I’m an old-school survivalist – being armed is right up there at the top of the list of things to be ready for. But I also have dang near thirty five years of being that old-school survivalist behind me. In all that time, I have needed to eat far more times than I’ve needed to point a gun at someone. Not saying it won’t happen…simply saying that, statistically, you’ll be more likely to be patting yourself on the back over your food stash than your gun and ammo stash.
In addition to keeping you from, y’know, dying, food has an excellent moral and motivational (Motivatory? Motivary?) effect – as the graphic on the MRE entree says: food is a force multiplier. Well-fed people are going to perform better than starving people. And starving people are desperate people who do desperate things..and doing desperate things is a great way to become someone who doesn’t need food at all…forever. So don’t be a starving person who takes crazy risks out of desperation, and don’t be around starving people who are unpredictable and dangerous.
Having that resource of food also makes you a target. Truly desperate people…people who are cold, who are hungry, who are hopeless, who are watching their loved ones miss meals…are dangerous and unpredictable. Don’t be one of them and don’t let them know you’re there.
Right now we live in a world where people will literally kill you because they want your sneakers, think you cut them off in traffic, or simply want your cellphone. And that’s in a world with 911, electricity, cops, and a somewhat-functioning society. Now imagine what it’ll be like when the only mechanism to keep the foot on the brake pedal of social chaos is whatever you’ve got in your holster or slung over your shoulder.
In a situation like that the person who can sit at home, safe and secure, and not have to venture out into the chaos looking for food and supplies has a tremendous advantage. Exponentially so, if he’s there with his equally well-fed and well-armed family and friends.” – Commander Zero, in his Notes From The Bunker blog