Why prepare for disaster when you can begin living self-sufficiently now? Being self-reliant is the best preparation because you have already tackled much of the learning curve. You can certainly be prepared for some things without being self-sufficient but being able to live independent of the system makes you prepared for more (or longer).

While being equipped with the necessities for a short term situation can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters; living a simple life prepares you mentally and emotionally for an extended lifestyle of ‘deprivation’ that can come with social crisis, financial disruption, government collapse, civil unrest, terrorist attacks or natural disasters. You don’t have to read all the bad news of current events to know the need to prepare is real. Everyone should be ready to be self-sufficient for at least three days. This means providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water, and sanitation. 

Assembling a disaster supplies kit is the first step in preparedness, but what if the circumstance is bigger and lasts longer than 72 hours? Don’t stop at 72 hours. Once the first three days are taken care of, expand the plan to a week, then a month until you’ve got a buffer zone for a year (one harvest to the next). What if commercial food production is disrupted by the environment even worse than it has been in the last few years? Do you have a garden and the tools to preserve what you grow? What if basic services like water, electricity and gas are down for weeks? Do you have the ability to cook and keep from freezing to death? What if a post-Katrina like circumstance was nationwide?

The governments disaster relief measures have already been proven woefully inadequate. Are you capable of physically protecting yourself? What if our foreign policy and national debt dumped the giant monopoly board and suddenly everyone was starting from scratch with whatever they had in their personal possession? Even if events continue to unfold in a ‘normal’ manner, how much longer can we balance the growing unemployment and personal debt with inflation? How close is your extended family and how well do you know your neighbors? Are you a person that your community can count on to help?

Self-reliance is not some invisible force field that makes people impervious to societal consequences, but it does provide a mental/emotional shield (strength of character), knowing you can make do – with your own hands. You must prepare yourself and your family for all possible threats if you hope to avoid being a victim.