Many of those “numerous vendors” of “survivalist kits” are marketing an overpriced idea of prepping.
You’re getting $10 worth of food in a $5 bucket slapped with a label that says “PREPPER!!” for $75.
Most of the individual meal servings are not enough calories to keep an anorexic alive. You have to eat 4 servings to feel like you’ve eaten anything.
Put together your own supplies from what you find at the grocery store.
Canned goods, dried beans, rice. Flour, sugar, salt.
Buy or make your own dehydrated jerky and veggies.
Buy airtight, food grade plastic buckets with lids, and oxygen inhibitors to toss inside.
Learn how to purify water and buy calcium hypochlorite to do it.
If you have land, plant, learn canning, get some chickens.
Of course, if you don't have the money for freeze dry, then canning is an alternative. However, how many really know that process well? End world, the rural canners with livestock may survive. Bad times for 6 months, plenty of food and sources of water (with filters) if you prepare.
*** “If you have land, plant, learn canning, get some chickens” ***
I am loving on the Chickens ... just make sure you have enough Roosters ...
I had roughly 30 Chickens and about the same number of Ducks for about 8 years ... Problem is I live in Town and the Roosters were a little noisy and I was getting complaints ... I had 8 Roosters so I cut back to 4, I figured 1/2 the noise and it would solve the problem, nope so I cut back to 2 Roosters and 3 weeks later I had no Chickens or Ducks ... Hawks don’t care much about a single Rooster or even two same with the Feral Cats, Opossum, Raccoons and Skunks.
Ducks were the first to go, even though Drakes are very protective, they relied on the Roosters.
Roosters may fight with each other but they will gang up on anything that threatens their Hens (or even the Ducks)