When SHTF you do not want to be caught unprepared. There are two main points that you need to focus on when in a survival situation.
By panicking or underestimating the situation, you will be opening yourself up to vulnerabilities that should not be there. Be prepared, be ready and by all means, be strong. These two points of focus can be the two factors that determine your ultimate fate.
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Panic Ensues
When panic ensues among the general population, you will have the opportunity to stop, think and react. If you panic, you are likely to get more stuck in the already hostile and confusing situation.
By remembering your basic skills, practicing SHTF scenarios and having set goals, you can stop your mind from reacting in a spontaneous way. So, when preparing your SHTF bag, routes and checkpoints, you should also remember to practice them.
Without planning, practicing and preparing, your mind will not be able to handle the information that it will be given. You will start to panic, and you will end up with the rest of the sheeple stuck in traffic and unsure of what to do next. All that preparation will have been for nothing, and you will still be where you have been preparing not to be for the duration of your prepping time.
Underestimating the Situation
You never want to underestimate the situation. Always, and I cannot stress this enough, be prepared for the worst case scenario. If you walk into a bad situation with the belief that help will arrive shortly, you will be setting yourself up for disappointment, depression and ultimate demise.
If you prepare yourself for the worst case scenario, you will be allowing yourself some mental freedom. If help does arrive, or if everything pans out quickly, you will be thrilled. If things just keep getting worse, your mind will be able to comprehend what is going on because you have already realized that it will eventually happen.
Make sure that you realize what the situation is, and make sure that you are fully capable of trudging through it at all costs.
Put Prepping to Use
Once you have managed to gather your bearings, you need to be able to use your physical tools as well. You do not; however, want to have the tools in places that will hinder your ability to get out quickly. Some common issues with survivalist prepping are things like placement of BOBs, time is takes to load and go and the amount of items that people want to bring with them.
Things like toilet paper and decorations are no longer important. Things like identification cards, birth certificates and identifying documents should already be in your bag and ready to go. Toilet paper… Who needs that stuff?
As long as you have been using due diligence, you should know which leaves are and are not poisonous. Use those! Keeping your BOB in the basement or attic (or some other hard-to-get-to place) is like keeping your car keys in the microwave. It just doesn’t make sense. Make sure that all of your “prepped” items are safe, easy to get to and light in weight. This will make it easier for you to just grab and go.
Underestimating the situation and panicking are the two quickest ways to be hurt of die in dire circumstances. By ensuring that your mind is as capable as your skills and prepping, you will be ensuring the safety of yourself and your family.
No one wants to be caught with their pants down in a post-apocalyptic situation, especially when the shit hits the fan!