WHAT ARE YOU PREPARING FOR?
To prepare is to anticipate, to perceive, adjusting to ensure you have what is required. When we speak about survival scenarios the specifics of each situation are multi-varied and unique. So when we prepare we must prepare in a broad sense. Duration of the event, nature of emergency, present company, location, maybe season and you could all determine what happens. To be prepared, we need to do a threat assessment to narrow our efforts.
Environmental assessment.
Consider your environment. What are the risks? Flooding, violent storms, forest fire, drought, a harsh climate, high heat, extreme cold, rising sea levels, depleting natural resources, lack of water, over pollution, too much competition. Have a look at where you are, where you will be, and assess the risk that comes with nature and your location.
Regional Situation
What is happening within your community neighbourhood, city, county? How is the local government managing? Are they corrupt? Is there ethnic tension, division, extreme class gaps? Are the police corrupt, bigots? How is the crime level? Local gangs, mafia, organized crime. How is the local infrastructure? What is the cost of living? What are the laws regarding the carry of weapons? What are the taxation policies? Is this all helping you or hurting you? Take stock of the threats posed by people, the people we all deal with everyday.
Global State Affairs
How do you feel the world’s governments are managing the current state of affairs? Do you, like many fear we could see a nuclear war in our lifetime? What happens when global resources like food, water, energy become so coveted and precious that wars are fought to posses them?…Resource Wars…The global financial reality is one of interconnectedness. Simultaneous weakening or collapse in multiple large scale economies could cause the whole world to shutter, again. A similar situation laid the foundations for WW2.
Planetary Events
The earth is warming, the oceans are dying, sea levels are rising. The earth’s biome is disappearing while our population grows. Environmental pollution is real and massive. All life on earth is being affected. The earth is losing capacity to support life.
Conclusion
The idea of a threat assessment is to try to identify or anticipate the risks unique to you and your location. Once you have done this, you can begin to prepare for those risks. Using the core principals of preparedness (Self-Reliance, Self-Sufficiency, and Self-Preservation), we survive by adapting accordingly.
Take the time to assess the challenges you and your community could face in the future. Consider the people around you. How prepare is your family, your community? Start to pay attention to regional, national, and global affairs. You might want to rethink your location, what you stock, and how you train for the future.
The Northern Survivalist