Perhaps we should move this to the TEOTWAWKI section?
Yep, probably should move this to The End Of The World As We Know It ( We probably shouldn't assume everyone is familiar with the acronym)
But yes, this will be the end of the world as we know it, and not the end of the world, so you aren't going to get raptured out. Its time to make changes to ensure your survival. I personally think we are most likely looking at an Argentina Style event, with a potential for civil war thrown in. That means things do not fall completely apart. Rural areas do not get supplies, and many move to the city because that is where any supplies that are trucked end up. Crime is much higher. Stores are not fully stocked and what you see is what you get. Infrastructure fails and you may not have power to run the freezer, food is bought or found day by day ( with 90% of any income going to its purchase) Fuels are available but expensive. And some places are under martial law but since enforcement is local. just because you are under martial law doesn't mean they have the man power to actually make it happen, and certain areas fall under control of local groups (gangs, militias and resistant local govts) Bribery and corruption are commonplace.
There are many schools of thought on how to prep, and nearly everyone says " I haven't a clue, this is what I have decided to do" - there is general agreement, however, on a few things..
1)Do it in stages. Figure out how you survive for 3 days, and get it done. Then figure out 7. Get it done. Then figure out 3 weeks- month. Get it done. and So forth
2) Food and Defense (guns) first, tools and skills next, near last is Bullion (gold and silver.. are forms to store wealth, they are actually pretty dang useless when the lights are out) When getting Gold or silver get easily recognizable forms ( junk silver in the form of old US coins (pre 1964) or Jewelry. .999 Gold bars are going to get the same price as a 24K gold chain link, because the link is easier to verify. Gold chain can also be sown into clothing etc..
3) You need people - you must be building relationships for when the time comes. Lone wolves aren't going to make it but those in highly population density areas aren't going to make it. You need to be rural, but close enough to neighbors for mutual defense.
4) you only possess what you can defend.
In my opinion, if at this point you are still in a City, you need to get out and/or have a place to get out to. If the Civil War does actually start, 80% of the enemy live in the cities and patriots will be forced to attack infrastructure - not people or military units directly. That means power, sanitation, water, fuel and food distribution.
In the long term you need to think about how you will provide each of these for yourself.
Some are easy. Sanitation is a Septic system.
Fuel is harder. If you can get oils then a personal Bio-Diesel plant ( 3-6K) may be the right solution. If you can get fermentable stuff, then a personal alcohol still is in order.
Solar is a good, quiet way of getting Electric power and hot water. A decent Hot Water DYI can be done for under $1000. PV Solar is still expensive(For a home size system its $6000 for inverters, another $2500 of batteries ( more for longer lasting batteries - life ave 10 years and you pay for AMP Hours as well) and about $300 for a 250 Watt panel ( an average house needs about 4000-6000 watts),e and there is still a tax credit of 30% for systems installed before 2016.
Colder climates require heat. A wood stove ( mission requirements going up by fiat next year making them more expensive!) and a source of wood are required. They may also require a greenhouse to extend growing seasons.
Options we are doing for food include aquaponics ( fish/plant system) , no-till farming (requires way fewer passes for food, but its tricky to get right - start experimenting now) and
Holisitc Grazing The fact is here, you are going to have to learn a lot from Lefties who always want to this this stuff, but for some reason always take certain options off the table ( because of thier moral obligations to the environment) Many of them are quite viable if you don't have that hang up. Yes, the dried food is fine - but its an emergency provision. Enough to get you through a failed harvest, bad weather, and other disruptions. If you have 40 years worth then the govt can take it easily for the " common good"
If moving, pay attention to Zoning. You probably want an agricultural lot that will allows chickens and livestock. Some codes also allows businesses to be run on Ag lots. You do not want more land than you can use or defend. You are not becoming a "Farmer" and a larger lot just makes it more tempting for the fascists to seize it and give it to big Ag. IMO 5-10 acres. In some places you can be self-sustaining on less - even down to 2 acres, but the smaller you get the less tolerant your system will be of error and problems.
As BigAlSouth suggests, water is key. In some places ( like where I am in Colorado) well use is permitted, and on some permits you may not even water a garden. (Part of my strategy is giving them as little pretense to hassle you in the short term as possible. That makes you low lying fruit for them. So make sure you are legal for what you want to do long term.. because you need to learn to do it, and that means now.) But a Well with the legal right to irrigate or water rights to ditch water will potentially have a large impact. Yes, you need it to drink, but you need it more to grow food and water livestock.
Build relationships with like minded neighbors- you will need them to survive. Mutual defense and shared skillsets will be required. If you don't have any like minded neighbors get the hell out of there. I do not think you will be required to (or can) supply everything yourself. Your neighbor may make diesel. You may raise fingerlings for Aquaponics, another guy is the mechanic who can fix the cars and tractors. Another is security. You need a skillset that will be valuable, that is all. If you can get those relationship established before hand, great. If not, I am pretty sure they will form after, as long as you have something to trade.
However, we are late in the game here, and this all takes time. A lot of it. There are a lot of infrastructure improvements here at the Farm(let) we hope to complete (PV solar, improved water distribution,improved electrical distribution,greenhouse move from flood irrigation to a reel system, erect a real barn, a bunch of fencing, ditch improvements, and still more implements for the tractor.) . We haven't learned a lot because the flood took our harvest, and then there are just needed repairs and real life in the way ( I still have a day job and intend to keep it till I can't to fund all of this) - and of course we have the Bug Out location if all goes to pot here, with PV Solar, greenhouse and aquaponics setup, but its not sustainable long term - especially if hunting becomes impossible because everyone is poaching. )
In the end I always find myself in the same place. Praying to God for protection and guidance. And so I would encourage you to add Him to you list of preps as well.