Most people never consider the possibility of a catastrophe tearing our society apart but in recent years this idea has become a possible reality. The turmoil in the Middle East, the growing fear of environmental threats and the ever so popular Mayan 2012 theory, the possibility that such a catastrophe could strike increases every day. If disaster does strike, and you are not in the immediately affected area, there are actions you can take to ensure you and your loved ones survive. There are 6 survival essentials you will need to procure in order to maintain existence in the post-apocalyptic world. Water, food, shelter, sanitation, security, and morale are the 6 main ingredients of survival.
The two most important of these survival essentials are the bare necessities, water, and food. The human body can only go for about 3 days without water and around 2 weeks without food. (I bet that would be a miserable 13 days.) In most emergency situations there will be work to do in order to rebuild, repair or even save people in the areas affected by the situation. This in addition to the high level of stress the body is under will require you to maintain a high-calorie count and water consumption in order to maintain optimal physical and mental performance. This demands that you keep water and food at the top of your priorities. If radiation is not involved, just about any water supply can be turned into drinkable water with the proper survival training and it can be done without the need for an extravagant set-up or system.
After you get food and water you will need to worry about shelter. If you are lucky and your home wasn’t affected then you are one step ahead of the game. If for some reason you had to leave your primary shelter then there are certain areas and types of shelter you should and shouldn’t use. Since you need water, if you have found a sustainable water source like a creek or a river, this will be an ideal place to set up your survival shelter. You want to be sure that you are not too close, or too far away from the water. With proper survival training, you will understand how to make several shelters with the material available in nature for whatever situation you might find yourself in. Construct your shelter out of whatever you can find. In a post-apocalyptic world don’t be afraid to take over building or structure that weren’t originally yours, it is critical to do what you need to do in order to ensure you have the 6 survival essentials.
Once you have found water, food and adequate shelter, you will have to worry about sanitation. Some simple sanitary procedures can protect you and those you are trying to survive with from disease and a slow painful death. You will also have to worry about what to do with your human waste. There are essential steps you should take to keep yourself safe from your waste. There is no hospital to go to in the post-disaster world, so being proactive about your sanitation and waste disposal is paramount to your survival. Remember, entire armies throughout history have been crippled by not following simple waste disposal procedures and become racked with disease and death.
In addition to procuring resources to ensure you have the things mentioned above, you will also have to maintain security. In a world where society has collapsed those who can inflict their will on others will be the ones who rule. There are no police or lawsuits. Security and being able to defend yourself or hide from others will be critical to ensure your resources and protect your loved ones with
You will have to be aware of your surroundings at all times, and if there are people with you, it will be paramount that they are as alert as possible. Obtaining all of these survival necessities is the key to having a good morale, whether alone, or with a group. Morale can affect the progress of people negatively or positively. If morale is down, people are not motivated to survive. When morale is up, people are more productive and optimistic about their situation and makes survival more enjoyable for everyone. Morale might be the hardest to control of all the concerns mentioned above.
Survival in a post-apocalyptic world is not going to be pretty. It won’t be impossible either. There are 6 essentials to survival and those who thrive in the next world will be those who took the time to learn the correct survival skills to make sure they could provide for themselves and their loved one, water, food, shelter, security, proper sanitation and maintained high morale.
Featured Image: The Guardian