One of the most important aspects of preparing for whatever is to come is putting yourself in the best situation possible. Whether you’re living in an urban, suburban, rural, or wilderness setting, you may feel different levels of security and anxiety based on the circumstances that continue to present themselves. Some sort of collapse, whether it’s economic, societal, governmental, or a combination, seems to be very possible. I’d put it at a 30% chance that it will happen in the coming years or even months. I’m an optimist. It could be closer to 99% but I like to hope for the best… and prepare for the worst.
Some of us are pretty much stuck in our current situation. Family considerations prevent me from leaving Neo-Marxist California despite my strong desire to do so. I’m making the best out of the situation my family is currently in and seeking ways to improve that situation all the time. Others may look around, consider their resources, and decide that now’s the time to break away and live off the grid.
Then, there are those who prefer a more crowded setting because they feel the potential for assistance outweighs the benefits of being secluded. Perhaps you have enough friends and family locally that you want or even need to stay in close proximity with now or when the crap hits the fan.
Whatever your situation is, now is a good time to assess three aspects of your living circumstances. Soon, we may not have the choices we have today. It’s best to do an honest analysis as soon as possible. Here are three of the things to consider:
Assets and Liabilities
How you prepare for whatever is coming is often a series of decisions based on what you have available and what you’re missing. For example, we live in an area away from fresh water supplies. Unfortunately, we’re very dependent on infrastructure staying intact, at least for running water. We’ve prepared with filters and some water storage, but I find myself always seeking more room and ways to store water effectively. I have my Alexapure filter system if I can find sufficient water around me, but I’m still looking for it. We even bought a kiddie pool that gave us fun for the little one and extra water storage if all hell breaks loose.
Others who live close enough to fresh water that they can collect it whenever they need do not have such concerns. On the other hand, rural and wilderness settings can pose different liabilities if things go very south. It’s a very good idea to take stock of what you have and don’t have in your nearby environment when preparing for a collapse. That way you’re making adjustments to your plan and the advice others are offering. If I lived by a river, I wouldn’t be storing away nearly as much water, but I’d definitely be storing far more medical equipment knowing that if someone in my family gets very ill or injured, it’s up to members of the family to try to make it better.
Threats Around You
In nearly every situation anyone is currently in, there will be threats that arise. These threats are normally other people who are desperate and who will do you harm if they think they can gain from you. I have tried to get to know and understand my neighbors for this very reason. I’m also aware of likely threats in nearby neighborhoods should things turn very south.
An old work acquaintance once told me a story (to this day I don’t know if he was kidding) about a conversation he had with his elderly neighbor. It was around the time Obamacare was rolling out and she told him she had stored away a couple hundred thousand dollars in gold and silver just in case there was an economic collapse. She asked him if he had gold and silver stored away, and he told her he did.
“How much?” she asked.
“A couple hundred thousand dollars worth,” he told her.
“What a coincidence,” she said. “Where do you store it?”
“In your house, just in case there’s an economic collapse,” he said.
Seemingly nice people will do crazy things to survive. It’s important to know who your threats may be and to be watchful when things turn south. By no means am I promoting paranoia or recommending turning in your neighbors because they looked a little too long inside your garage when it was open, but being aware can be very helpful in the wrong situation.
Allies
The most important thing for those who do not choose to live in solitude off the grid is to talk about all of this now with people you trust. Even those who aren’t as aware as you about the current state of affairs and where we’re headed will surely know that things aren’t very good and they appear to be getting worse. You may help them to start preparing. Then again, they might surprise you and tell you about the network they’re building.
Local networks of trusted friends and family will be among your most important assets if the crap hits the fan. Groups will form with or without you. Many of these groups will be together with the sole purpose of taking from others. There are numerous other reasons you’ll want to have a network and a plan, but protection from others is a big one.
Start asking. Start talking about it. You may be surprised and find someone in your inner circle is already working on a plan. You may want to start building your own plan as well. Based on proximity, you may be able to help each other stock up on certain things. For example, if you know Bob has lemon trees in his backyard and they produce 500 pounds of lemons per year, this knowledge can help a proper network plan accordingly.
Trying to be ready for everything is an impossible task and can cause anxiety. Instead, assess your situation and plan as best you can. Peace of mind goes a long way when things start getting really bad.
