Preparing for the future--gold/silver, medicine, food, etc...

I'm beginning to prepare for the eventual collapse of America, world, disease, nuclear winter...you know, the kind of cataclysmic events that at least in some capacity are bound to occur given our current trend in sociological development. I have some questions on what would be the best things to have on hand, and also just to have if I am to survive such events.

I am looking into buying some precious metals, though I'm really not sure where to start. Silver coins look pretty accessible, but would gold be a better investment?

What about medicines...if you were to give me a list of 5 medicines that would be highly useful in the events I've described, what would they be?

And food? Obviously freeze-dried is the best way, but what kinds would be the most beneficial?

Weapons, transportation, communication, power, sanitation...a list would be the best route here

i would not go with buying gold and silver, it would all be useless when the cataclysm happens. everything would go back to barter and trade.

It would be better if you would prioritize the essential and basic things that would keep you alive, like food (military rations would be nice) and drink. As well as clothes (Preferrably boots, jackets, conservative clothes that would cover your whole body and remember not to bring cotton clothes.)

secondly you would need Weapons. with all the criminals, crazy and over protective people out there, you would want to bring something to defend yourself with. Survival of the Fittest. something light weight would be perfect like a hand gun and a knife, in the end of days you have to conserve space in your back pack because you never know when you will find something important. Plus you will run a lot in the end of days so you really need stuff taht are light weight and portable. Bring only things that you NEED.

thirdly would be medicines, medicines for wounds, dissenfectants, multi vitamins and energy drinks. lots and lots of energy drinks.

As for transportation and Power, gas wont be accessible in the future so be sure to keep a hefty supply of gas to trade with.

A jeep or a car that travels quietly, we dont want to attract attention.

gas powered generators would also be useful.

Remember to bring flashlights, masks and walkie talkies...some batteries too. (cellphones would not function due to destruction of cell sites)


[edit on 23-6-2007 by Paco223]

Excellent thread. I just wanted to add in that for communications in your post-apocolyptic end of the world scenario, a good idea may be to get your ham radio liscense. Paco is right, cell phones will be useless, but there are millions of us nerds with ham radios and ingenious ways of keeping them powered (hand crank for example) to communicate with during the end times world scenarios...

Study everything about life in the 1880's, it's where we're headed. Time travel if you will.