The skills you and members of your family or group
need will vary widely depending on your location and access to resources
and the equipment you depend on after an event.
Leadership is
needed for any group to succeed. Your family or group needs to
have structure and decision makers. During a crisis you will have to
implement your plan and work around difficulties and unforeseen
situations. You will have to provide for both physical and emotional
needs. Prior planning and
organization will help, but if a leader cannot make quick effective
decisions and have them followed, you and your group may soon
turn into factions that fight each other. TRUST and RESPECT is
essential and must be established BEFORE a crisis.
Mental discipline
- A sometimes much neglected skill in times of plenty. You must have the
discipline to follow your plan. Efficiency, no waste, dual-use,
control of supplies and other procedures must be followed.
Improvise - This
is a survival skill that allows you to quickly assess changing conditions
and respond effectively and unemotionally with the resources you have at
your immediate disposal. Consider the ability to improvise as
flexible thinking.
Cooking & Food Storage
- Having food requires that someone know how to prepare it -
without electricity. Your
survival food can be wasted by preparing too
much for a single meal or ruining the food during preparation or improper storage.
Growing Food -
Events that create extended crisis may prevent restoration of normal
production and distribution of food for quite some time. Even a modestly
small area for
growing food can help you survive. It takes at least 2
years to properly prepare soil for a food producing garden.
Purifying water -
As you start to use water for cooking, drinking and sanitation
you will have to have a
means of replacement and purification. Have at least two means of
water
purification. Boiling water will kill bacteria but
not remove harmful chemicals or heavy metals.
Equipment use - When it's time to
use survival equipment, you need to know about it's use, limitations,
construction and repair well before the need.
Firearms use -
Most people will include
firearms in their survival plan.
It is imperative that firearms be well maintained and used in an
extremely responsible manner. You and others must know safe
firearms practices, how to clean firearms and how to effectively use them
and in what limited circumstances such as protection from wild animals
in a crisis.
Sanitation - Most
people dislike housework in the best of times. Things get much more
difficult in the absence of electricity and utility provided water.
Before a crisis have a
survival sanitation procedure for keeping things clean to avoid
illness especially in food preparation and toilet areas.
Awareness & self
defense - Any time there is a disruption in the social norm, action
by nuts and those who prey on the unprepared become magnified.
Instituting a habit of hype-awareness of your surroundings is the first
step in protecting yourself and your home. Develop a plan that
includes knowledge of
personal self defense. A simple self defense class can teach you
the skills you need and give you confidence.
Advanced First-Aid
- When medical services are not available due to a crisis, knowledge of
survival medical
& advanced first-aid is essential. Being able to handle medical
emergencies will provide an increased level of confidence in all things,
even if it's never used. Take an advanced first aid course that
includes CPR. Stock both over-the-counter and prescription
medications such as antibiotics, anti-fungals and learn how and when to
use them
Shelter Maintenance
- Learn how to do
basic
survival home repairs. How would you fix broken windows, replace missing
shingles, repairing storm damage and all the other things you currently
rely on others to do.
Clothing repair and cleaning -
Keeping your clothes clean is a fairly simple process, unless power and
water is interrupted. During a crisis where water is at a premium, your
skill in low water volume clothes washing will be a big morale boost.
Have material for clothing repair.
Bartering - Yes,
this is a skill you will need during an extended crisis.
Understand the
bartering process and the immediate value of your goods
and services against the goods and services you need from others.
Bartering takes a plan and practiced skill.
In survival, either be prepared
to do-it-yourself or do without
Next
Deciding to Stay or Go
See the ADVANCED
Area for Specific Plans
