First things first, if SHTF step 1 would be to immediately get the f*** out of any urban or densely populated areas. Doesn't matter what caliber you have when you're competing with hundreds of thousands for the same finite resources. It's bushcraft survival time, that's why I'd prefer a .22.
You can do what you need to do without drawing attention to your existence. Be a ghost.
.22, a good knife, couple life straws or purification tabs, & Bic lighters.....g2g
Good info.. IMO, I don't think it gets this bad in most of the US. Are living conditions going to get bad, yes. The collapse will not be overnight, it will be a slow grind to the bottom. This will allow for adjustment by those outside the city. The inner cities are already 'food deserts'. By the time the collapse is in full swing, most of the retail will be out of the cities. The remaining retail will close quickly with little or nothing to be looted. The subs and the country areas will be fine. The people in places, like where I live, are already prepared for the most part. Any mischief will be met with death. The fear of being killed by roaming vigilantes will keep most places in order. Stores will still be filling the shelves where self-policing takes place. Any grifters from the city will be watched closely. Bad behavior will be met with a quick and possibly painful death.
Debt-Jubilee is coming and it will take a few if not more forms.
1. Outright debt forgiveness is the first. It won't be granted to you by the banksters but the penalty of defaulting on debt will be wiped out. The 'credit' - score (it's really a slave score) will be meaningless. So many will default that not defaulting will be more painful than defaulting.
2. Money printing. They will have to print a lot of money and buy worthless government debt to backstop their banks. This is already in progress and will continue for some time. Eventually, the amount of currency in circulation skyrockets, and wages will skyrocket.
3. An end to wage suppression. Wages will skyrocket due to money printing and a lack of quality labor. The demographics in this country are bad. There are not enough people to provide the goods and services that the retirees want. Wages in relation to prices are going UP UP UP. Be a worker.
4. Negative interest. The short term rates on the yield curve will be negative. Anyone saving in the form of digital currency will be a payor of the debt. Don't be a saver in the traditional form. Taxes will be sky high. Learn to game the system by knowing the taxable amount that one can earn and stay in a lower bracket. Channel all other efforts to earning outside the digital system, like growing food, producing a good or service that can be traded for an alt currency etc.....
Now you know why starting WW3 is so needed by the banking sect.. Don't participate.