The Little Book of the End of the World (24 page)

THE FOUR BASIC NEEDS

There are four key requirements necessary for prepping (to some, these are self-explanatory, but in keeping with the nature of prepping, one should always be prepared, even if that means re-stating knowledge you already know):

These are basic human needs recognised by all survivalists, from the boy scouts through the military and up to the most hardened prepper. All of these are, of course, nothing without a basic understanding of your environment and first aid.

Shelter

One of the most basic human requirements, the need for shelter varies depending on your location: for urban dwellers, this could be as simple as ensuring that your home is sturdy and kitted accordingly; for those in a rural environment, this could involve finding or constructing a shelter, whether out of natural materials, finding a suitable cave or even carrying a tent with you.

This requirement becomes all the more important in cases of extreme weather. If the End of the World involves ice, fire or water, that proves all the more dangerous for the prepper: extreme weather could kill you within three minutes if you are not prepared.

Of course, the type of shelter required depends on the type of Apocalypse you're experiencing, and the sign of a successful prepper is one who is prepared for both that erupting volcano and the next ice age.

Fire

Your stomach might not agree, but fire and warmth are more important to your survival than food or water. Of course, the need for fire is once again dependent on your environment and what sort of shelter you have, but a warm locale doesn't mean you won't need fire: remember, you still need to cook and ward off those hunting animals.

Being truly prepared for the End of the World means that you know how to build and start a fire from foraged materials. So no matter how shiny your Zippo lighter is, you should still be well versed in rubbing two sticks together.

Water

The average human probably wouldn't survive any longer than three days without fresh water, and the prepper should be prepared to source water from wherever possible, as well as dealing with the possibility that traditional water sources may be contaminated.

Some survivalists will stock up on bottled water, others on tablets that will purify water, and then there are those that are fully prepared to drink their own urine. Unfortunately, with water ranking so highly as a basic need, you can't always be picky about where you get it from.

Food

After putting a roof over your head, warming your toes and filling up your glass, only then should you look after your appetite: the fact that you can survive longer without food than anything else means that those cravings will just have to wait.

Some preppers deal with the need for food by stocking up on canned and non-perishable food, and that's obviously a lot easier to deal with for survivalists who intend staying in their own home. However, for those without the luxury of an extensive basement, the wilderness survivalist should also be capable of identifying and foraging for edible vegetation, and maybe even playing amateur butcher.

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?

So the End of the World has happened, and you weren't one of the lucky ones to get raptured. What do you do?

Survivalists differ on what the first thing you should do is, and most of that difference depends on where they are located. Some suggest heading into the wilderness or some other location – bugging out – while others suggest that you stay where you are and make your own location secure. As you can probably guess, this practice is called bugging in.

Bugging-out necessitates you having a bug-out-bag, a small bag with some of your necessary survival tools: you should also have a pre-decided location to go to, perhaps somewhere where food is in abundance or shelter will be easy to come by.

Bugging-in is decidedly easier, but carries with it a whole other bunch of challenges: staying in or near your own home means that you know your own surroundings and you're likely to already be aware of any threats in the area. But bugging-in, especially in an urban area, means that food will possibly be less easy to come by over a long period of time.

And then, there are the neighbours.

Obviously, bugging-in has the added bonus of your neighbours nearby, people that you should be able to depend on and club together with for shared protection. But as we all know, the threat from other people can be just as bad as the threat of the Apocalypse itself.

MUST-HAVE SUPPLIES

In no particular order, here are just some of the things you should have in your bug-out-bag or somewhere safe in your home.

  water

  map of the local area

  a small axe or other tool for cutting wood

  fire-starting equipment – fuel, lighter

  first-aid kit

  non-perishable food