To Theorize Incessantly

If you believe that the world will end in 2012, then you might also believe in preparing for that disaster and the future afterwards. Unless the earth explodes in a fantastic fashion, the likelihood that ALL humans on the earth will be destroyed is an impossibility. The earth has been struck by large asteroids time and time again, and yet, life carries on in the mysterious blue marble. Yes, a major disaster like nuclear war, plague, solar flares, and meteors could be devastating and will most likely kill most life on earth, but some will survive. Doomsday will come eventually, the question is how will you plan for it?

Move To Fertile Grounds Theory

Some people believe the best solution is to relocate to an area with fertile grounds to grow crops. This plan is solid as long as the person has the capability to travel long distances, if needed, to get to this fertile area. A warmer region would be best, an area without a winter that could sustain year round farming. Multiple factors would need to be considered. How will travel be done? Will there be supplies available upon arrival? If supplies need to be brought, how do they get transported to the location? The biggest obstacle for this plan is the simple fact that travel across the planned route may simply be impossible after the disaster. Countless changes to the terrain could happen, not to mention others will undoubtedly come to the same conclusion and choose to protect or block the route.

Stand Your Ground Theory

Of course, other people believe that they will simply hold up in their house. If they have enough food and water they will be fine. This is a wonderful idea, for a short-term disaster. But if help is not going to arrive with in two weeks, it isn’t going to matter how much food and water you have, because now you will become a target for others who are more aggressive, and failed to prepare themselves. The question then becomes, can you protect yourself? Unless you built an underground bunker, with a massively dynamic air system, the answer will be: not for long. Oh, but you have a vent system for your underground bunker? Does it come straight to the surface? All a person would need to do is force smoke into the intake, or block it off entirely, and you will be forced out of your little rabbit hole. Then your food stores will be their’s.

Best of Both Worlds Theory

So, one would need to have an area that is defendable, but yet have an area that can sustain long-term living. Of course, survival of a large disaster will never be something that one can survive all alone. The best scenario for preparation would be to have a small group organized. Large groups would be great for defence, but could make early sustainability impossible. Goals for preparation of the location would include securing and storing temporary supplies ahead of time. Unless it is a place that you will actively be living in, time will be needed to grow crops. Thus, food supplies will be needed, such as MREs until the crops can be harvested. Ways to defend one’s area should already be in place. The less needed to bring to an area, the more successful the chances will be to get to the location, and to survive/defend it upon arrival.

During one episode of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, the hosts interviewed several people who had already developed a secret group that had assigned tasks. One individual even went so far as to have a secret location that he was currently living in, prepped for what he believed would be the coming disaster. Unfortunately, planning to survive on your own, defeats the whole purpose of surviving. Why bother surviving, if you will be by yourself?

Unfortunately, keeping a 3 day survival kit for “normal” disasters is expensive enough, let alone preparing to become totally self-sustaining. So, I will more than likely fall into that group of poor folks that just aren’t prepared when the end finally comes. My failure will not be because I didn’t know better, but because bread on the table NOW is more important to me than having bread on the table in a future unknown world.