Dallas Dixon
Member
@Dallas Dixon
Oldcoot and many others have provided solid advice. Fire fights are a last resort. There is a difference between scavenging and raiding, be careful in your terms, so we don't misread your intentions. Oldcoot is a very wise old fa-t and he can and will provide very sound advice. I do caution your approach to meet and join with other (1) prepper and your friends. Too much shared information regarding your supplies and equipment could paint a bullseye on you in a time WSHTF. The railroad tracks do have potential for both positive and negative uses. It will be up to you to determine how it will affect you. If you own the property you can plant blackberry or other very thorny plants (food and deterrent). Alarm trip wires (smoke -- not shotgun shells) you do not want to injure anybody prior to a full on WROL.
As Brent pointed out too, get the things that you will absolutely need and then work on the weapons stockpile. I started out with 1 pistol until I while building up my prepp's, then expanded the arsenal. Spam, top Ramen, soup, chili and so forth will keep you alive, are easy to heat and produce little to no smell. Having a large arsenal you will have to leave behind during a Bug Out, does not help you and anybody else. If you do not or can not defend your current location, then what good does it do you to have a 1,000 rounds of ammo? Like most, when I first started into the prepping society, I thought oh boy, guns and ammo. That changed very quickly when I started to do my homework. You can't eat ammo and snuggling up with your rifle won't keep you warm.
The first order of business is to decide what you are prepping against. Second order, plan on how you are going to deal with that situation and then third order, what is it going to take to deal with that situation. As Oldcoot pointed out, if you plan for ciaos, you will be mils ahead. If you are planning for the Zombie uprising, then you may just come up a bit short.
I am planning for chaos. I want to be prepared for that kind of situation and prepared for it in my area. I already have blackberries growing here at my house, there are plenty of squirrel and other edible creatures too. As for edible plants, that's kind of the opposite. For some reason the Southeast area I'm from doesn't have many plants you can eat. I should probably stock up on Spam and other things that you mentioned, but as for a person of my age walking in a store and buying a bunch of Spam, etc. I don't really know..
I've looked at a lot of solar chargers and things in that category, and man, are they expensive. I saw some reach a low of $50, but I don't exactly know if a cheap one would do it's intended purpose with relative consistency or efficiency. Everything I have must work efficiently and consistency, and that is a standard I will not compromise. Most things I have do benefit me in terms of necessities. Budget holds me back there. I have many things that are necessities other than the Spam and the rations. I at one point wanted to get MRES, but I've heard they do some bad things to you, if you understand what I'm saying.