The Easiest Survival Strategy

Survival in a hostile environment requires the individual to fill an important niche.
Some have the means of producing more than they consume.
Some produce a good that fellow survivors require.
Some produce a good that helps others gain just a small measure of temporary joy.
Yes, sin sells just fine in a hostile environment.

At the top of the list is food and fuel.
No food and within days, survival becomes a crap-shoot.
Within a week, the individual will need outside intervention as they will become too weak to dependably acquire food.
No fuel means no cooking.
In winter, no fuel puts a tremendous pressure on food stores.

There are always certain goods that remain in demand.
Clothing and clothing repairs, shoes and shoe repair, tool repair, the list goes on.
Some goods will come out of trading stock acquired long before the situation goes to hell.

A story I was told several decades ago was about a shapely woman who put her monies into her appearance. Her reason was that she would be the boss's woman.
Yes, woman have certain assets that have value if only for the night.
Then there is beer and wine. Easily made by the industrious and eagerly traded for.
Have you ever seen someone experiencing a nicotine fit?

All of the above involve the simple concept of barter.
Almost everyone can barter their labor for a meal.
The greater the value of the labor, the greater the demand and the more it trades for.

The real irony is that few of these assets have value in the urban or suburban environment.
Why? How much food is produced in the city?
Furniture can be burned, but by who? The starving?

Survival means you must live in a rural environment.
You must live close to the centers of production.
Outsiders are suspect.
I contend there isn't enough time for an outsider to become an insider.

BUT!!!
There is one possibility that has throughout history been welcomed.
The traveling merchant, though suspect, usually finds folks eager to trade.
This merchant has certain critical requirements in order to maintain his/her operation.
Among these are security forces. Valuable goods need guards.
Then there are those required for cartage, the teamsters, etc.
Goods require labor to move them from point "A" to point "B".

I leave you with a thought and a line of inquiry that just might be in your benefit.
Think about and research the Mormon Cart.
Then imagine the requirements of moving goods throughout a farming community when internal combustion engines are lacking a fuel source.
The really intrepid might consider building and operating a gasogen fueled vehicle.

Understand that the firewood cutter isn't producing when he is hauling wood.
The farmer isn't farming when he is delivering a load of potatoes.
Even with a Mormon Cart, a small percentage of the cargo as the fee is expected.
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Commerce is the glue that stitches civilizations together.
The cartsman gets to know everyone and brings the news, views and relays the needs for goods among his/her customer base.

Because I see the possible need, I offer simple solutions.
Large cart wheels can be made from plywood.
Even 4' to 8' is easy with laminating.
Shoe them with old bias ply tire rubber nailed on.
The entire cart can be made from wood.

The government has plans for gasogens. Easily found on the web.
The article was targeting the use on tractors.

Do as you inevitably will.
If a person gets up in the morning and has not one, not two, but three heaping bowls of dumb-ass for breakfast, then they shouldn't complain about a heaping plate of consequences for dinner.