In a true SHTF scenario and you have to grab your BOB and go, do you have a plane of action? Do you have a place in mind that could sustain you and your family for a long period of time? If you’re like me the answer is no.
This got me thinking about what type of place would be a good choice for my family. What would we need to have at this place? How far would you want to travel to get there? Is the city a good place to be, or should you head for the hills? These are all questions that have been swirling in the back of my head for some time.
I think there are some obvious answers. The city would not be a wise choice. Sure there would be lots of supplies in a city, but you would also have to deal with the population. This could be tricky, are they cooperative or would the inhabitants be hostile. The answer is possibly a little of both.
I think at first the people directly around you would be willing to work with each other to get through some tough times. As water and food runs out your neighbors would eventually turn on each other. I think this is human nature, that it is your will to be civil and share resources until you and your family start to starve. This would be true of the greater population, so you would also have to deal with roaming gangs of hungry and scared people. Not a situation I would want to find myself in let alone my wife and children.
It’s the country-side then. What type of land would you need? I would think that isolated would be the best choice, if you could find an area that requires some type of four wheel drive vehicle to access. This way not everyone could get to your location. I also think that there has to be at least four things: a natural spring, fertile soil, wide range of types of trees, and plenty of wild game. You need water; a river or stream can be dammed up. A lake is good but stagnate water could carry disease and bacteria. The area that you chose to occupy would need to be able to grow food. This would be critical if you needed to last a few years on your own, growing crops is the only way this is going to happen. The trees you need for building materials. If you have to call this place your own for a long amount of time, you might want a solid shelter and good hard woods will provide this.
The last resource that you’re homestead must have is wild game. This could be fish, but deer or elk, rabbit, quail. Something to give you substance with the crops you have grown.
I also think that another important aspect of survival in a SHTF scenario would be to have a network of people that you know, who can work with you to settle this land, grow these crops, and build this shelter. I also think that having a somewhat large network of likeminded friends and family around would be good in a defense of your homestead. It would provide commerce in a long term scenario where each member would have a marketable skill.
That’s why I believe that for my family Z.A.S is very important. We all hope never to have to use any of the skills we are learning in this scenario but we understand that one day it may be thust upon us, we must be prepared.