As we prepare, we inevitably become more confident about our ability to get through any disaster we might face. At times though, we can be a little over confident and underestimate what a real disaster would look like.
You may have heard people say (or said it yourself) that an SHTF event needs to happen because things are so out of control. On a big picture level this may be true, but on a personal level we can’t underestimate how that would affect our lives.
While preppers may have better odds at surviving any sort of catastrophe, that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Being prepared give us the basic necessities, but life will still be completely different and much harder.
SPP272 How Life Will Change After the S Hits the Fan
In this weeks show Lisa and I went over some of the ways life will change after the S hit the fan. A short term disaster would be at the very least an inconvenience, but long term disasters are a different monster.
Below are the topics we covered this week, and also a couple articles and podcasts we mentioned in this weeks show.
Learning to Live Without: We referenced this podcast a few times in this weeks show and it goes into much more detail about what life may be like in any disaster scenario.
Hard to Prep For Supplies: We also referenced podcast number 168 where we talked about some of the important aspects of preparedness and making prepping easier in general.
Why are the Majority of Preppers American?
I have listeners all over the world including the UK, Canada and Australia, and that number is growing everyday. With that being said prepping is mostly an American thing.
In my opinion this is because the U.S. was built by immigrants looking for a better life and willing to take that chance, people fighting against an oppressive government, and people willing to battle unseen dangers to live a better life.
While there is a large number of people that are happy to follow the heard, that renegade self-sufficient gene is still in some of us to this very day. This country was built by people who understood that their future was solely dependent on them.
Life After SHTF for Preppers
Below are some of the things that will be different in a disaster scenario that lasts for an expended period of time. Preparing for a natural disaster or short term events while very important, are only a hiccups compared to the larger events.
As we think about these disaster situations there is one thing that will affect just about everything, and that is electricity…or lack there of. An EMP, or anything that would take down the power grid could bring devastation consequences to our daily lives.
Heating & Cooling: For those of us that live in northern states, we know how important staying warm is, but for some people keeping cool is a life threatening issue as well.
Light: This is something most people tend to take for granted, but if the grid is down and the sun is down, we are in the dark if we don’t have other options.
Cooking: Having a years worth of food storage is great, but if you can’t cook it you will be eating a lot of dry noodles and spaghettios. Having grid down cooking options, and the fuel to use them is crucial with any survival plan.
Running Water: Another part of American life we take for granted is the endless supply of clean water coming from our faucets. While water storage is possibly the biggest challenge with prepping, it is the most important.
Refrigeration: There are many different types of food that we can store that don’t require refrigeration, but some of the “good foods” will. Steak, milk and bacon would just be a dream without refrigeration and without supply lines.
Our Vices: This is something we tend to overlook and something that won’t “save our life”, but it will save our sanity. In a situation where stress is through the roof having coffee, beer or cigarettes could help give you a sense of normalcy.
Handy Men: These days when anything breaks we call a handyman or look up some YouTube videos. In a SHTF situation it’s all on us to figure out how to fix it.
Public Servants: Most Americans tend to think that police offices, firefighters, and medical professionals should be there at our beck and call. The truth is these people have families too, and just like the rest of us that will take precedence over their job.
Medications: Some people rely on a regular supply of prescription medications, and in a disaster situation those could be gone or very hard to come by. This is also true for OTC medications that we should all be stockpiling.
Your Thoughts?
These are just a few of the items and reasons life will change after the S hits the fan. If you have anything that you think is also important, let us know in the comments below.
Hi, I enjoy your articles very much and I save them for reference. As a father and grandfather I feel the tug of responsibility to be prepared to some degree for the many types of disasters that we as a nation dance so close to. I find that my mind becomes boggled trying to think through so many different scenarios much less physically plan for each one. That is the fun part of the challenge and can cost more than a few bucks. The part of the challenge that I do not enjoy as much is trying to convince my close family members that prepping is important, to what degree is different in everyone’s mind. For my family, buying an extra case of water is extreme and then here comes the eye rolling. I was filling up with gas the other day and got accused of being a prepper! Thank you, I like the sound of that, it makes me feel a little smarter some how. I will continue to try and educate my bunch without being a crazy doomsdayer and sneak a little extra resource in here and there. One thing I have noticed is everyone around the house is always much happier when they find extra anything that they can’t live without, thanks for comment section!
MOST Americans WILL DIE! Unfortunately RACIAL , Rural vs. City and Religious DIVISIONS at Middle /Bottom
NOT RESOLVED , so those AT TOP will STAY IN POWER & KEEP using US to DO dirty work! Divided and Conquered, is HOW Empires COLLAPSE !!
While I agree with most of what you say I would like to point out that milk can be canned and bacon can be salt cured. They are not necessarily dependent on refrigeration. A little research should provide the information on how to do both…while we still have the internet! Rebel canners are canning all manner and sorts of food that the alphabet agencies recommend against. We are eating our products and still alive!
The worst part of no electricity won’t be “no light” – it will be the loss of instant communication & instruction. Society has become so dependent on the internet to tell us how to cook, sew, repair & build everything. I know people in their 40’s who don’t own a cookbook, who can’t read a map, or follow a pattern. I think a good how-to library is an essential prep.
Food, water, medical training, medication,defensive capability, shelter are all very important, but even more important is to have at least a small group of fellow helpers. One or two people won’t be enough. I live in a small town and know plenty of close friends and relatives. I think they are even more important than all my prepping. It helps that they are all good Christians.
You don’t mention much about security at all. I’m not talking about buying a gun and ammo, I’m talking about knowing how to properly use a gun, setting up security with multiple people, being in shape to pull security. The events you talk about would be completely life changing.
Great point about the vices when the sh-t hits the fan. In Venezuela condoms, cigarettes, alcohol and coffee are 20x the price they usually are. Much better off just living without – but they would be nice to have!