Hardcore survivalists differ from the rest of us. For survivalists, hope is not a strategy. Heck, hope might not even be an option.

The Free Dictionary defines a survivalist as:

“One who has personal or group survival as a primary goal in the face of difficulty, opposition, and especially the threat of natural catastrophe, nuclear war, or societal collapse.”

If we have true one percenters in the U.S., I say it’s practicing survivalists, not millionaires and billionaires. Why? Because when the SHTF, a stockpile of ammo and toilet paper will be more valuable than a stock portfolio.

Survivalists differ from preppers, mostly as a matter of degree. Preppers will hoard food and water, while survivalists will do the same but also have a backyard garden, fruit trees, and a dressed hindquarter of venison to make jerky. The wife and kids make regular visits to the gun range, and the bug out bags are always packed and ready to go.

Disasters come in 2 basic varieties:

1. natural

2. man-made

Natural disasters can sometimes be avoided but never prevented. Man-made disasters can be prevented but seldom avoided. Survivalists are prepared for both.

I lived in South Florida for years, and hurricanes don’t exite us much. In Broward County, before Hurricane Wilma hit in 2005 (soon after Katrina hit New Orleans), Ft. Lauderdale had not suffered a direct strike in over 50 years. Wilma grew to a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 mph, and the eye passed right over my house. We were without power for 15 days, food quickly went bad, and we were forced to leave.

Prepared? Not hardly. My brother-in-law and I drove to Jacksonville that night, dodging downed trees to get out of town. The whole county was pitch black – no stoplights, no lights, and no gas pumps working. Spooky dark. We borrowed a portable generator from my brother and headed back to Coral Springs. One generator for 4 homes. Frozen food got moved around, but much did not survive.

A few days later, gas was no where to be found, even to run the generator. We had enough to get out of town, return to Jacksonville, rent a 12 passenger van, and haul everyone up to Orlando for a week.

A Better Plan

Had we respected Mother Nature, we would have been out of town and staying with relatives at least 24 hours in advance. Our bug out bags would have been thrown in the cars with all important papers, bank account info, and cash needed.

Note: During this time, someone in Eastern Europe hacked my bank account and made fake PayPal charges to empty my bank account. I was stuck with no money at the worst possible time. Fortunately, I had a small account at American Airlines Credit Union, and the CU made $1,000 interest free signature loans available. Saved my ass. Notice this was a private gesture by a private company, not government relief.

The point is, survivalists are proactive, not reactive. I learned my lesson.

Disasters we may have to face include:

1. hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods

2. nuclear power plant meltdowns (like in Japan)

3. nuclear, biological, or chemical terrorist attacks

4. software hacks that disrupt or bring down the power grid

5. labor unrest that disrupts food distribution

6. pandemics like flu that can still kill thousands

FEMA

Is the Federal Emergency Management Agency the answer? Think Post Office armed with MREs and bottled water. And even that aid shows up a day late and a dollar short.

Note: If you believe conspiracy theories, FEMA is there to control the population, not rescue it. Are FEMA camps for refugees, or prisoners?

Survival is in Your Hands

Without fresh water, you will die in a few days. Without food, you will soon look like those POWs in Bataan or Thailand during WWII. Your starved brain will play tricks on you, and your organs may shutdown as they cannibalize your muscles.

Here’s the sad part. If you buy and stockpile the wrong food items, you may as well not have bought any at all. Survivalists are more knowledgeable and skilled than most people realize.

Survival experts have put together a list of 37 crucial items to survive a disaster. The problem is, if you do not prepare in advance, don’t expect to find these items on the shelf. You need the right food, in the right packaging, in the right bug out bags and containers, if you are forced to flee your home.

You have to stock up before a panic. Once the SHTF, you must be on guard for unprepared people who will attempt to take your stuff by force.

Survivalism is by definition an individual or maybe family activity. However, in a life altering crisis – TEOTWAWKI – you may have to join with like-minded survivalists to protect each other from mobs and gangs. You will need to know these people prior to disaster and essentially form a new government, preferably in a rural area with fewer bandits.

If you think food is expensive now, imagine if the stores are shut down or looted, and farmers slaughter livestock for lack of feed. You need to buy essential items now, and rotate items in and out of storage to keep them fresh.

Ultra-Patriots – Individualist Anarchists

Some people refer to survivalists as ultra-patriots. Some think of them as individualist anarchists. I don’t find either term accurate. Ultra-patriot infers people are prepping for the good of the country, and individualist anarchist are doing it to spite the establishment. In my humble opinion, survivalists take on ancient, pre-history obligations not unlike cavemen. Survival is survival.

What I do recommend is to do whatever you can given your current financial situation and move toward survivalist readiness. If the disaster does not come, you have lost nothing. If it does come and you are not prepared, you can lose everything, including your life.