Survival Basics  

SUCCESSFUL  survival planning includes

1. PMA - Positive mental attitude
2. PRIORITIZE your preparation goals
3. DIFFERENTIATE between needs & wants
4. IDENTIFY needed resources & skills
5. TAILOR your plan to your situation
6. ACCEPT responsibility for your plan
7. PRACTICE your plan and skills
8. TRACK your preparation progress

Topics in the BASIC SURVIVAL section

What is Survival - Objective - Learn the difference between needs and wants.  Effective survival planning makes you self-sufficient and self-reliant. You can choose to either provide for yourself and group or be dependent on a government agency to keep you alive. Even events such as nuclear, biological or chemical (NBC) events can be survived with proper planning. Past experience shows that the "Calvary" always arrives too late. 

Survival Skills - Objective - Identify skills need to survive.  You cannot expect to quickly and proficiently learn dozens of skills required for long term survival.  Group support, with everyone having some essential skills will highly increase your potential for long term survival. The more competent and confident you are in your skills, including self defense, the more successful you will be.

Decision: Stay or Go - Objective - Evaluate, Plan & Establish Your Options. If you live in Urban, Suburban, Hurricane Zone or Flood Zones you need have the option to do both.  Rural area residents are generally better off if they make extensive preparations to stay where they are.  In either case, you need to stay aware of circumstances so you can make your decision well in advance of the need.

Water Plan - Objective - Store, Find & Purify Water.  Safe water for cooking, drinking and sanitation is a must for both short and long term survival. Considering that, at a minimum, each person needs at least one gallon per day for drinking, cooking and sanitation, you can see that a moderate amount of stored water will not last long.

Food Plan - Objective - Decide what, where and how much to store.  After solving your water problem, food is a primary concern except for the very shortest event that cuts you off from normal re-supply.   Skills in proper food selection, storing, preserving and preparing foods is essential for survival.

Shelter Plan - Objective - Provide yourself a safe shelter in a crisis.  Even if you plan to use your existing residence as your primary shelter, there are specific actions you can take to make it safer, secure, and comfortable. If you are preparing for a long term crisis, you will have be involved with other people.  Therefore your shelter plan should include adequate room resources for more people than you initially plan to shelter.

Staying Warm - Objective - Avoid Hypothermia.  Survival in cold weather is not difficult if you are prepared. Clothing, shelter and sources of heat are the three combined elements that will prevent cold related injuries and death.

Staying Cool - Objective - Avoid Hyperthermia.  Hyperthermia, in its advanced state referred to as heat stroke or sunstroke, is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. It is usually caused by over exertions and prolonged exposure to high temperatures-humidity conditions. Learn how to beat the heat without air-conditioning.

Electrical Plan - Objective - Produce & Store Off-the-Grid Electrical Power.  After even a short time loss of commercial electrical power you come to realize how dependant you are on the commercial power grid.  Options include a full range from short term solutions to long range self-sufficient power generation.  Even short term solutions can aid you in transition to life without electricity or one that relies on a low powered self-generated, self-stored system.

Sanitation Plan - Objective: Prevent Dying From Your Own Waste. Imagine living in a modern city that has gone a week without trash removal services, electrical power, water and sewer systems.  Now imagine it after 2 months.  At some point it reaches the tipping point where living condition are no longer sustainable.

Travel Plan -  Objective: Move safely during a crisis.  The ideal situation, in a worst case event, is to be where you plan to shelter the storm, whether natural or man-made, well before the general public starts a panic or mass migration.  If you don't currently live in your planned shelter, you will need a safe travel plan.

Medical Plan - Objective: Be able to respond to injury, illness & medical needs.  In the absence of easily obtained medical services, YOU are the doctor. Conditions you may face during a long term crisis can range from simple colds and allergies, to severe illness, injuries and even possibly gunshot wounds. Preparing for events such as pandemics can protect you and your family.

Financial Plan - Objective: Develop a financial plan for short and long term crisis.  A crisis that creates a lack of confidence in currency and banking systems or creates a situation that prevents financial systems from functioning will quickly be replaced by a barter system as a means for people to acquire goods, services and wealth.

Protection Plan - Objective: Protect your shelter, group, individuals & resource.  Before launching into a protection plan, you need to evaluate what you are protecting and against what hazards.  During a crisis additional protection may be needed depending on your location and the hazards you face. Urban survival preparations are different from rural survival plans.

Group Morale - Objective: A happy group is an effective group.   Maintaining a high morale for you and your group needs to be part of your plan.  In the initial phases of a crisis you can prevent anxiety, worry and irritation by being well prepared in both supplies and expectations. Good leadership is required.

Nuclear - Biological - Chemical -  Objective: Survive NBC events. Long term survival after events that create widespread contamination of the air, land and water is expensive and difficult to prepare for if you are in a likely target area.  Resource storage, air filtration and contamination control are essential.

Next   What is Survival

See the ADVANCED Area for Specific Plans