Supplies: food

Food is very important when stockpiling for a nuclear event. The question is, what should you stock? Buying enough feeze dried food to last a year (which I think is a good amount to store) would be very expensive. Instead, most of your stored food should be things that you already eat. Do you like mashed potatoes? Try some of the instant potatoes. There are different brands and flavors. If you find some you like, buy a box from time to time for your storage.

I store instant potatoes, instant rice, instant cream of wheat, instant oatmeal, powder milk, pancake mix, and ramen noodles. I store cans of fruit, vegietables, and baked beans. I also keep a few cans of freeze dried items that might be hard to come by for a while after a nuclear event: powder eggs (Even though my mom lives nearby and has chickens, after a tramatic event they do not lay well for several days. I also don't know how many would survive.), cheese, butter, and bananas. I also store non-hybrid seeds so that I can plant a garden by the next growing season (if the radiation levels are low enough).

It will take some thought as to how much food you will need to store, but having it will be a comfort. Plus, if for some reason you loose your job, your stored food can help you get through the crunch - without the government handouts. Once you get another job, you can start rebuilding your food stores.

One thing to keep in mind about storage: ROTATE. Twice a year I look through all of my stored food, bring what will get outdated before the next rotation out of my basement and into my pantry. I also make a point to gradually use my stored water to make sure it stays fresh.