VENEZUELA: Imagine How Devastating a Pandemic Would Be AFTER the SHTF

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By J.G. Martinez D.

An outbreak of a sickness is always bad, but can you imagine how bad it would be in a country where the system has already collapsed?

They say there is no isolated disgrace. They always come three in a row. My country is totally vulnerable nowadays. Our economy has crumbled. Our medical system has collapsed. We can´t respond in any way to this sort of threat like the coronavirus out of China.

With such a close economic relationship with the Chinese, I heartily doubt the world will learn anything useful about the spreading of the disease. Remember, we in Venezuela are being subject to an extermination policy. Who dictated it? I can´t tell…yet. But once the truth can be told, I will.

It would be worse in metropolitan areas.

The spreading of the disease can be much faster in places like the Caracas metro, where the air conditioning is no longer working, and the crowding of people is constant and quite high. This is the perfect media to get infected. With the coverage of the metro and Caracas being a small city, in a couple of weeks the real disaster will present itself.

My perception is, most of the medical staff will get the heck out with their families. There is a real difference between battling a potentially deadly virus under normal circumstances and a totally different animal when medics are going from patient to patient without even being able to change gloves.

How many of those attending to some medical care center with regular flu symptoms will be contaminated? How are the doctors to be able to perform the needed tests? The gangsters already burned semi-trucks loaded with the aid trying to get into the country and blocked the borders.

It will take longer than usual to reach the countryside

Our vulnerability is high, indeed. However, there are some interesting aspects to consider, brought along with the induced collapse: the lack of mobility will slow the disease spreading outside the cities themselves.

The arrival to the countryside is inevitable, though. There are too many products that can´t be found there, and finally, someone will start trading, and, just as has happened in human history, it will bring the disease.

Despite my acknowledgment of the spirit and dedication of our doctors, my impression is, that given the high level of risk, they will get their families out of the cities, to get out of dodge as well, once the conditions are given. I know there is a lot of control exerted by the military over the hospitals. These have become an underground business in some instances. I haven´t got any proof (yet), but it has been like this for a long time. This was one of the needs for change that people who voted Hugo wanted in the first place. Health care was available freely, but good healthcare was just for those who could afford it.

Back on topic, we know that being isolated in a secluded, self-sufficient and sustainable place is the safest way to overcome this type of disaster, if it gets out of control (at least for some time).

Nowadays, Venezuela is lacking a capable workforce in most of the cities and public administration positions. We all know the disaster already present in the hospitals, without money to acquire the supplies my people desperately need.

The disaster will be unparalleled in our current situation.

You don´t need too much imagination to know what could happen once the mostly useless medical facilities start to receive the patients. Those who perhaps assisted looking for care or accompanying someone who maybe was not even part of the contaminated crowd will be exposed and it´s very likely they will get sick. This part could happen anywhere.

Right now, in the United States, people in the know rush around getting supplies. Hospitals establish protocols.

Under the current circumstances, there is no way that Venezuela can resist an epidemic event. Once the disease starts to affect the barracks where the uniforms live…it´s going to be an epic catastrophe.

Arsenals undefended will be looted. Gang wars will start in a matter of days. Maybe a lockdown of the cities would be enforced…provided there are troopers healthy enough to execute it. Maybe finally, people will lose fear and some kind of revolution starts. This is a truly shadowy scenario, indeed. It reminds me of those areas of Pakistan that suffer an earthquake first and later flooding. Dang.

The Caracas Metro subway was considered once the most modern in all of Latin America. But, as usual in everything the commies occupy, I would rather take a cab, even being broke. It´s not being properly maintained, breaking down in the middle of the tunnels, and people have had to risk their integrity walking between stations…INSIDE the tunnel. Public transportation is one of the most likely ways to get infected, indeed. The other ways are those present in most of the cities. Elevators, stairs, hallways, markets, supermarkets, and alike.

Leaving the city would be difficult once the outbreak occurred.

Once the roads are closed…I don´t know what could happen. The law enforcement organizations lack enough resources. Most of the vehicles are in need of repair. This includes ambulances and fire/police trucks. Someone riding along a road could be subject to harsh treatment if he gets caught. Maybe at night, but with the high risk of road pirates…this is hard to predict.

What I feel is, that those unable to isolate themselves for enough time until the breakout resolves by itself are going to have a real hard time in the cities.

You would need to be in a secluded place, stocked with supplies and some degree of sustainability and communications with the outside world (a police scanner with a good antenna in a mountain hidden of prying eyes would be extremely useful right now if you ask me).  Maybe this will be the only way to survive.

There would be so many deaths.

The few supplies that could be sent to the affected communities, as usual, will never arrive there. It has happened before with the rationing scheme. Just like in every place the communists have stomped, a black market is quickly in place, with all kinds of rationed products at inflated prices.

Facing a sudden pandemic, with our people already weakened from malnutrition, would result in tons of casualties, that´s for sure. Those in charge of at least recording the numbers will hide everything. That data will never be properly collected, and if someday those numbers happen to see the light, they will be inaccurate and unreliable.

The death toll and suffering will be unfathomable.

And it will be covered up.

About Jose

Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has a small 4 members family, plus two cats and a dog. An old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Thanks to your help Jose has gotten his family out of Venezuela. They are currently setting up a new life in another country. Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon. Donations: paypal.me/JoseM151

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Why You Need To Reuse Your Garbage When SHTF | Survivopedia

In a post-SHTF world, there will be trash piling up everywhere, and for the most part, it will stay undisturbed until vegetation takes over.

Every movie portraying the end of civilization depicts cities where garbage is piling up and we see scavengers looking for hidden treasures in those garbage piles. However, the reality may be different than what we see in the movies and the survivalist doesn’t really have the luxury to throw out garbage.

What may seem garbage to some, in a desperate situation, that garbage may have contradictory qualities to others. After all, improvisation is the mother of necessity, and everything can be reused and given a new life, even the garbage you throw out.

The topic of reusing garbage ore recycling it is not covered
as much as it should within the prepping communities. It’s one of the sensitive
topics that few people bother to think about, let alone talk about it.  Some are afraid that reusing their garbage
will make them a hoarder in the eyes of others, while others fear that society
will isolate and condemn them for their practices. 

Re-purposing garbage for survival may seem eccentric in our
“modern society,” but this is a common practice in third world countries. As
you will see in the following lines, there are many ways you can reuse your
garbage, and this is the knowledge you want to acquire before SHTF.

Dumpster diving is already a common practice in our country,
and in recent years, there has been an increased number of people having to
rely on it just to survive. Not to mention that we see more and more in the
news how people living in countries affected by economic collapse (such as
Venezuela) are eating whatever they can find in the trash just to survive
another day.

For the purpose of this article, we will look at how organic
and non-organic waste can be reused when SHTF.

Non-organic Waste

Many American families are recycling their non-organic waste,
and it’s a good practice to keep our environment clean. However, when recycling
facilities no longer work, we would have to think of ways to reuse this garbage
without suffocating our living area. In your household, you are probably
recycling a certain amount of glass, plastic, paper, and metal every year. But
what would you do with all that waste if you are forced to reuse it?

It’s obvious that every glass bottle or jar can be used as containers. However, you can also cut these items to make various objects. You can find a lot of info online about turning glass items into drinking glasses, candle supports, toothbrush supports, and whatnot.

Since you cannot fill your house with drinking glasses and
you won’t need more than one or two toothbrush supports, you need to find
another life for your bottles and jars.

You can use the bottles and jars you recycled for your
garden chores and even as building materials. Some people will make a bottle
torch, while others will use them as planters. I’ve also seen shelves created
from bottles and other furniture. There are also people using them as building
materials for Earthships and similar construction projects.

Glass items are also ideal for creating perimeter alarms or
traps that will slow down intruders. Broken glass is cemented to the top of
brick walls to keep nosey people at bay, and if you top your fence with barb
wire, you will have a double layer of security. If you can afford to buy a
small kiln or if you are able to build one, you can melt glass and make floor
or wall tiles. There are all sorts of possible uses for your glass items.

Reusing plastic in a survival scenario is much easier
compared to glass. In fact, there are all sorts of projects online teaching you
how to reuse plastic items besides their obvious use as containers. Finding a
new life for your plastic items is limited only by your imagination. Preppers
are making plastic cord from plastic bottles, and it’s the “new thing” on the
internet.

All the plastic bottles you have can be used as garden
planters, fishing traps, or as building materials to create all sorts of
objects. Some can build rafts from plastic bottles, while others can build an
entire shelter.

If you have plastic bags, these can be reused for weed control in your garden. You can also use plastic bags to waterproof items, to gather water or to set animal traps. Plastic nowadays is melted and turned into blocks used in construction. Some countries are using plastic to build roads while the modern teenager is using it to 3D print various objects.

In a survival scenario, most preppers will use paper and
other paper products as fire starters and burning fuel.  However, I would personally use paper and cardboard
as insulators since this is one survival trick I’ve learned from the homeless.
They often use newspapers to insulate their clothing and footwear during the
cold season. Those that have found an abandoned place and made it their
temporary home will often insulate the walls using cardboard and duct tape.

In a blackout scenario where you can no longer heat your
home, you can use cardboard to insulate the walls of a room and move everyone
inside in order to survive the cold days.

If you like gardening, you can make homemade seed pots, and
you can use newspapers for weed protection since its biodegradable.

You can move things up a notch and make papercrete (concrete
made from paper) for your building projects. Back in the day, people were
stealing phone books and use them inside their shelter to increase protection
against home intruders.

However, if you would like to reuse paper or cardboard, I
advise you not to store these supplies inside or near your home as it can
become a fire hazard.

This is another versatile resource that can be reused in various ways post-collapse. Metal cans, coat hangers, and pretty much everything you can think of can be reused. All metal containers can be used to store or cook food, but you can also use them to improvise trip wires and alarms.

From coat hangers, you can improvise snares or make various
traps to catch small animals. With a little patience, you can use a few coat
hangers and improvise a grill to cook your food. If a metal object can be bent,
cut, drilled, or melted, then you can reuse it for your projects and give it a
new life.

Some preppers have their own foundry at home and their hobbies
include making various blades and other items they can sell. Since metal was
the main material that helped humans evolve, it will also help us survive long
after this civilized world fails us. You can do pretty much everything you want
with metal as long as you get the proper knowledge on how to transform it.

Organic Waste

When we talk about organic waste, we should make a clear distinction between the two main categories. These two are human waste and everything else that is biodegradable.

The idea of using human waste is repulsing for some, and
from experience, I can tell you that some people don’t like to talk about the
“human waste handling business” of prepping. Regardless of how the following
lines will make some people feel, I still believe this is something worth
mentioning.

Human waste

In ancient times, human urine and faces were used as
fertilizer by many cultures, but today, it’s an unpleasant concept for modern
people. For most of you, promoting a waste product that people associate with
diseases and consider hazardous as a resource to grow your food may seem like a
paradox, but even developed countries do it. For thousands of years, China’s
farmers have used human manure as fertilizer.

In fact, to recycle human waste is a good method to prevent
polluting surface water with nitrogen and phosphorus-rich waste. When gardening
centers are closed, you may have to use human waste in your garden since it’s a
readily-available and convenient nutrient source for your soil.

If you don’t believe me and you think I might have lost my
mind, I encourage you to read the “Humanure Handbook,” and you will learn more
about this subject.

In a dog eat dog world, you can use human waste as a
deterrent for other humans. I’ve heard survivalists say that they will use
human byproducts to conceal their stashes and make cache sites uninviting.

Biodegradable, non-human waste

All the other waste coming from your home that is biodegradable can be reused in an SHTF scenario in two major ways.

As you probably have figured it out by now, the most common
one is to turn biodegradable waste into compost. Almost all the organic
leftovers from your kitchen can be turned into compost, and this is a common
practice in the countryside. Country folks use organic waste to improve the
quality of their garden soil and boost each year the gardening season. There is
a lot of information online about what can be turned into compost.

The second method of reusing biodegradable garbage is to
build a biogas generator that would provide you with energy to power your
appliances when the grid is down. This approach is rather new (and complex) for
most preppers out there, but it can be done.

In today’s world, the consumerism trend is making us dormant
and obedient, and we often forget that everything we produce can be reused and repurposed.
We are being trained to consume and produce garbage, and we keep repeating this
cycle. If you take a moment and think about it, you will realize that every
object you come in contact with during your day to day activities may have
other used besides ending up as garbage.

Fabrics can be reused, batteries can be reconditioned,
furniture can be repurposed, and we can prolong the lives of the items instead
of creating garbage. This may not sound appealing to most folks, but in a world
where resources are scarce, you may be forced to hold on to your garbage.

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POST SHTF Wild Medicinie Cabinet – SHTFPreparedness

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Do you really know all the benefits that natural world possesses? Are you at all familiar with what you can do with wild medicine? Perhaps you know all about it but have you used any of it?

Native Americans have used these naturally occurring medicines for at least a thousand years.

One thing you want to be very careful about is the hard reboot. In other words, if you are living a completely dependent and convenient lifestyle you are going to have a serious struggle, post collapse, when you realize its all on you!

Lets look at 5 medicines that you can find close by and can help out with a number of different ailments.

Aside from smelling great and having legitimate affects on the mind, lavender is also a filled with elements that help the skin with all sorts of itch and bothersome rashes. Having a oils or tinctures can go a long way in dealing with these types of rashes.

The bark contains a powerful pain reliever and fever reducer. Understanding what willow looks like and how to use it is paramount if you are going to be a natural healer of any kind. Its a tree, too, so that means you can use all four seasons of the year!

A simple weed that grows anywhere, this plant is great for wound treatment as a poultice to help your wound heal faster. Avoid chewing this plant up in your mouth as your mouth is full of bacteria. Instead you can process it in a shemagh or in the bandage you will be using.

Long known to be a powerful healer of winter woes. Elderberry is great for cough and flu. Its easy stuff to make and cans well. No SHTF medicine cabinet is complete without some elderberry syrup.

Even the common dandelion have a powerful medicinal affect, if you know how to use it.  As a tonic dandelion can be used to stimulate appetite and deal with stomach upset. This could be more of a problem than you think in a SHTF scenario.

After watching recent events unfold and speaking to family and friends, my wife and I decided to start prepping. Preparedness is a big part of our lives now and I would be honored to share some knowledge with you. Here at SHTF Prepping & Homesteading Central we gather the best prepping, survival, homesteading and DIY articles from around the web.
– “Those who prepare today will survive tomorrow.”

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shtfpreparedness.com/post-shtf-wild-medicinie-cabinet/

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SHTF National Pandemic—When Do You Bug-out? – DC Dirty Laundry

Bug Out or Ride it Out and Hope for the Best?

The problem with SHTF contingency planning is how difficult it is to know if/when it’s time to load up and get the hell out of Dodge. If you wait too long you may be trapped, like the people in Wuhan, China.

If you leave too early you run the risk of burning bridges with your employers, leaving your property vulnerable to looters, kids missing too much school, and maybe looking foolish to those people who already think you’re a kook. I know some of you have lifestyles that allow you to bypass the above consequences, but not most people.

Armageddon movies make the decision look easy. 

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Alien spaceships suddenly appear in the skies or the country is invaded or nuked. The hero is prepared, and he or she saves the day. Rarely do they make a movie or write a prepper novel that has people already in their bug-out location when SHTF. It’s half the adventure getting there!

What makes for a great screenplay is different from what makes for a successful and safe evacuation from a danger zone. You want to reduce the number of potential obstacles to your escape, including keeping your vehicle fueled, having your equipment and supplies organized, paper maps available, and stockpiling food and water so you don’t have to deal with potential shortages.

Paralysis by analysis

So, let’s assume you are that guy…or gal. You and your family are prepared to bug out on a moment’s notice and you have everything you need to arrive at your destination. When do you pull the trigger? Have you talked about it? Are you discussing it now that the coronavirus has been unleashed on the world? Are you adding items to your inventory before the crush hits local stores?

You can’t wait until your community is quarantined. Do you leave when someone in your city or county is diagnosed? If not one person, how many? How will you know when local cases are diagnosed? What is the situation where you are planning to go?

Are you feeling a little paralyzed yet?

What to do

No one has a crystal ball, and even the experts most involved in this pandemic  (or whatever it is called right now) have no idea how far this virus will spread or how lethal it may become. Thailand has officially announced the virus is out of control there, and we can’t trust what China is telling the world so, it really is up to each person to take a reading and monitor the situation.

Listen to the local and national news. Obviously you don’t want to be traveling through affected areas so you may have to adjust your planned route. Did I mention paper maps?

Decide what the conditions will be that trigger your bug-out, and don’t waver, or second guess. Get everyone involved, on the same page. Stick to your plan. If you have vacation or sick days on the books, take them before you leave; you may be coming back. Use the time in front of you to complete unfinished preparations.

If you do leave, limit your contact with other people along the way. Don’t go to restaurants or convenience stores. Buy your fuel at the pump if you didn’t bring any, and use disposable plastic gloves when you handle the gas hose, tossing them before you return to the vehicle. Take a porta-potty and plenty of bags, and a shovel.

If you are taking perishables, a cooler with dry ice (don’t store inside your vehicle) will last a lot longer than bagged ice. Dehydrated foods for the trip would be more ideal. Take plenty of water (at least a gallon per day per person).

Whatever time you think it will take you to get to your destination, triple it if you waited too long and the roads are crowded; double it anyway for a margin of safety. Stay current on outbreak news. A small Ham radio would be handy for international news. Avoid cities and large communities even if it adds miles to your trip.

This may all blow over in a few weeks and never reach the point where you decide to make your move. Use this situation as a good training scenario for the future. Watch what happens to people in other parts of the world and adjust your contingency plans.

The one human weakness that leads to death in the face of adversity is the failure to act when it is time, hoping things won’t get any worse.

While you are here, take a minute and click one or both of the links below and visit our sites for “fresh daily” news and opinion. Don’t forget to sign up for our email list!

David Brockett is a Vietnam Veteran and former Marine aviator.  He writes fiction and historical fiction, as well as articles on politics, religion, gun-rights, preparedness, and current events. 

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The Three Most Important Factors for Managing Disease in SHTF – SHTFPreparedness

The Three Most Important Factors for Managing Disease in SHTF

SHTFPreparedness may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

Hollywood, video games and authors have done a great job at portraying what an SHTF scenario might look like. We are all well aware of the threats from humans, the warring factions, the struggle to eat and drink. Maybe even the struggle to find safe shelter.

These portrayals have done a lot to open peoples eyes to the fact that our society can change drastically in a matter of moments. Its not set in stone that we live in this hyperconvenient society forever. So if you build your preps on this model there could be somethings you are missing.

While Mad Max type villains may seem like the most dangerous part of a post-apocalyptic world, you will find that its actually disease that presents the greatest threat. Lets look at the three most important factors to consider for managing disease in SHTF.

Human Waste

From day one you are going to see the issue of human waste. Its gotta go somewhere and if the water system is compromised, you are going to have real struggles dealing with that. Unless you have a plan. Something like a compost toilet or an outhouse is going to become the main method, if you take the time to make a method.

The worst case scenario will be those around you who just start going anywhere, that is how disease spreads in a hurry.

The only thing as consistent as our bodily functions is our ability to create trash waste. What do you plan on doing with that? Well, there are a few answers for trash. Most of the time you are going to burn that waste. What about those around you? There is a good chance we can see piles of trash and pests in our streets. This is the best breeding ground for disease and viruses.

Human Contact

The final factor is simple, its human contact. Others will be carrying disease and coming in contact with them will only spread that disease. If you can understand these three factors you might be able to mitigate them, at least on your end.

After watching recent events unfold and speaking to family and friends, my wife and I decided to start prepping. Preparedness is a big part of our lives now and I would be honored to share some knowledge with you. Here at SHTF Prepping & Homesteading Central we gather the best prepping, survival, homesteading and DIY articles from around the web.
– “Those who prepare today will survive tomorrow.”

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shtfpreparedness.com/the-three-most-important-factors-for-managing-disease-in-shtf/

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Ask Yourself These 10 Vital Questions Before SHTF | Survivopedia

Our motto is “Hope for the best and prepare for the worst!” even though hoping has little to do with the outcome of a disaster.

An SHTF event can hit unexpectedly and the manner in which you act, but most importantly, the timing will be the main key to determine your odds for surviving.

The following article can be classified under the “common
sense” category although, many of us know too well, common sense has become a
rarity nowadays. Before starting to evacuate or hunkering down, it is mandatory
to stop and think, and to act with a clear mind.

There may be little to no warning before a crisis arises, and people usually start panicking when time is running out. The event is the main thing that will dictate your course of action and response time, regardless if you are a prepper or not. However, to make sure you are doing the right thing, you need to develop a crisis mindset.

This type of mindset is common among first responders and
other agencies dealing with the natural or social element. They develop it
through regular training on the field, and the lessons they learn following a
certain real-life event will often become a new chapter in their training
manuals.

For the common Joe, it would be ideal to be aware of the
signs of an impending emergency situation. However, due to our way of life and
the fast-moving times, developing a good sense of awareness is almost
impossible. Even so, if you will ever have to face a disaster, you should remain
calm and figure the answer for the following questions before making the next
move.

Ask yourself this when SHTF:

1. Am I Ok? Are those that count OK as well?

During a stressful event, you could be hurt without even
comprehending it. Due to the adrenaline rushing through their veins, most
people don’t realize they are hurt only after the event has come to a stop.
This is a common occurrence during terrorist attacks, and panic, combined with
an adrenaline rush, makes people unaware of what happens to them. Their
well-being may be at risk, but they won’t check themselves due to other
“priorities.”

Regardless of the event currently unfolding, you should
first make sure you are ok. Once you have established that you were not exposed
to physical harm, you can check those close to you.

Under certain circumstances, you may not provide medical
assistance to everyone surrounding you. If you happen to find yourself in such
a scenario, your loved ones should become your main and only priority.

If you are not together, the next step would be to get in
touch with them by telephone or other means of communication or by trying to
reach their location. This last action depends mostly on your bug out plan and
how trained everyone (meeting points, alternative route, etc.).

2. What happened? (not why)

During a crisis, one should gather as much Intel as possible
in the shortest amount of time. However, most people will just waste time
figuring out unnecessary details. They may do so involuntarily, depending on
how their brain is wired.

All you need to know when a crisis occurs is what happened,
where it happened and where it is heading. Any other detail can wait for when
you reach safety. An old saying goes, “curiosity killed the cat,” but
unfortunately, humans are curious creatures as well. Whatever you do, avoid
risking your integrity when seeking out information.

A quick example of situational awareness, in this case, could be the chaos created inside a building by a shooter. In such a case, you can hear gunshots and that’s pretty much all the information you need to work with. You need to know where the shooter is located if there’s one or multiple shooters (depending on the locations of the gunshots) and where the shooter is heading. Details like who the shooter is, what his motives are if some will step in to stop him and other such things are not needed at that time.

3. Is it safe to be here?

Once a crisis has occurred, you need to establish if your
home’s integrity was affected or if it will be affected in the future. If you
notice cracks in the walls or if there are large holes in your roof, you should
leave your home. Since you are not a construction engineer, you cannot
establish how long the home will stand. It may very well crash down on you,
tapping you for God knows how long. Act based on the information you have and
don’t get trapped.

If a hurricane will hit your region, logic dictates that you
should seek safety in an underground shelter. If waters are rising and you are
caught up in flood, heading up may be the only way of escaping. However, don’t
get trapped in the attic and bring some tools to make your way out. Many people
die during flooding because they cannot escape from their attic once they end
up there. Most emergencies will dictate a specific course of action and you
should evacuate if you consider it’s not safe to stay put.

4. If I need to get out of dodge, how far and how fast do I need to go?

This question is strictly related to your bug out plan, and
if you don’t have one, you might as well hope things will go your way. If
evacuation is foreseen in your future, a bugging out plan becomes mandatory.
You should have a destination point with three or four alternative routes to
reach it, some stopping points which can serve as meeting or observation points,
and last, some caching or re-provisioning points.

The timing of your bug out plan should be calculated based
on the required travel distance, and this means you should make calculations
for traveling by both vehicles and on foot. Also, you should acknowledge that
every stopping point will affect the overall timing and the time of travel
(nighttime or daytime) will also influence the speed of travel. Make assumptions
and plan some buffering time. However, all this means squat if you don’t
practice based on your bug out plan. You need to test it a few times to make
sure it is feasible for everyone.

5. Based on what caused the event, where should we go?

Although this may seem like a contradiction, if you have a
bug out plan, things may not work the way initially planned. Certain events
will force you to rethink your actions. Think about it this way, if you are
evacuating because a wildfire is threatening your community and once you’re on
the road, you find out the fire is also heading towards your bug out location,
then going there should be out of the question. There are certain events that
could block your escape routes and in some cases, hunkering down may be your
only chance of surviving said events.

If your family is out of town or anywhere else that would require a long detour, your destination point may change more than once. Having a bug out plan is, without a doubt the right way to go, but having a backup plan to your bug out plan should also be considered.

6. What is readily available to take with me?

The importance of a bug out bag is not up for debate, and
everyone knows that a survival bag (may it be a go home bag or other
customizations) will increase one’s survival chances considerably.  If you are not preparedness minded, you can
still take supplies with you that will keep you alive for some times. The type
of supplies you can carry such as food and water, the tent you’ve used during
your camping trips, money, etc.

Take things that are in reach and the ones you can carry,
regardless if you go by foot or vehicle. If time allows it, I recommend using
your mobile phone and taking a few pictures of your home, both inside and
outside, before you go. This will allow you to notice if something is missing
and will greatly help with the insurance.

7. Is the current season an obstacle for my survival plan?

Going into the woods during the cold season is a totally
different survival game compared to the warmer months. Most people organize
their bug-out bags, and they forget to upgrade (or update them, if you will)
for the particular season. This is what I call seasonal prepping when it comes
to your bug out bag and you need to take it into account. A crisis might
dictate your next moves, but the time of the year may affect your chances of
survival worse than the crisis itself. Make sure you are equipped to face the
seasonal weather.

Not to mention that driving is also different on snow, and
it will affect the speed and the overall timeline of your bug out plan. Even if
you travel by foot, cooking a meal and building a proper shelter is much more
difficult in wintertime compared to summertime. These are things you should
consider before stepping out the door.

8. Am I alone in this?

The nature of the crisis can drastically affect the social
element, and as we all know, this is the most unpredictable and random factor
when it comes to emergency preparedness. If you are not the only one affected
by the event, and others around you are asking for help, you have basically two
choices: leave them be or give a helping hand. Your decision may be influenced
by many factors and it’s hard to predict all of them, what kind of training you
have, and overall, what type of person you are.

Even so, assuming you have time to help others, the first
thing you need to do is assess their condition. Deciding whether they should be
moved or not is an important step, and it requires first aid knowledge. Triage
may also come into play and telling someone their loved ones can’t be saved is
not easy.

Deciding to make an improvised survival group is a complex
task and requires certain actions dictated by the event itself. Every group,
regardless of its nature, requires a leader. Without leadership, there’s only
chaos.

Keep in mind that improvising a survival group will take a toll on your time and resources. In a survival situation, the main thing you need to keep in mind is that being selfish or altruist is always up for debate. Not everyone is a hero, and nobody can judge you if you do what you think it’s right for yourself.

9. Is it safe to get out or go back?

This follows under the “curiosity killed the cat” classification, and regardless if you hunkered down or bugged out, at some point, you will have to go back or emerge from your shelter. The hardest part here is to decide when it is best to do so and everyone has different timing. The timing is calculated based on the type of information you manage to gather. You should listen to the world outside of the safety of your bugout or bug in locations by using any means you have (Radio, Internet, TV, etc.).

If you are bugging in, the safest approach would be to keep your head down and maintain a low profile. Observe the outside world without putting yourself at risk. The number of resources you have should give you a general idea when it is time to return to normality. Those who are bugging in may be forced to get out sooner if they don’t manage their supplies properly.

10. What are my next moves now that it has passed?

The nature of the event dictates your next steps. However,
the safest course of action would be to assume that the event is a long-term
one and may produce consequences that can last. If you are well prepared, you
can last for months and you won’t have to worry.

However, at some point, you will need to figure out what you
should focus on. Rebuilding is the next step for most Americans when dealing
with a natural disaster. If the event has long-lasting and large scale
consequences, one might want to become self-sufficient (which is impossible
without planning for it in advance).

The point here is that even though it may be impossible to
predict the aftermath of an emergency situation, you should not wait on others
to help you. There are still people in Puerto Rico without power, and there’s
no one who can tell how long it will last. Not to mention that the recent
discovery of the unused hurricane aid is something that should make you think.
When reading about it, my blood started boiling, and regardless of the anger I
felt, for me, it was once again confirmed on how little the Government cares
for its people.

The type of person you become and how you manage to mitigate the risks of an SHTF event is two things conditioned by your prepping plans.

In the current state of the world, there are many concerns,
but the most frightening part is that people are starting to see this as
normality. If you feel that you are at risk and that something may one day
alter your way of life, it’s better to develop a certain mindset that can keep you
ahead of the masses.

You can’t afford to have any “unknowns” in your survival plan. Take some time and figure out if you have the right answers for the above-mentioned questions and I guarantee that you will discover new things that need your attention and involvement. Stay safe and be prepared!

This content was originally published here.

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