First thing to understand is global collapse isn’t an event. It’s a slow process that unfolds over years, or more likely, decades. We are already seeing it happening, but since it’s not like the movies most of us don’t recognize it.
The second thing is that baring some major instant catastrophe you aren’t going to see hordes of displaced people fighting for your potatoes. It takes real desperation to pack a bag, leave all the rest of your things, leave your home, and walk far away hoping it’ll be better somewhere else. Even now people stay in some of the most dangerous and inhospitable places.
So, odds are you’ll have time to set up a garden, set up a rainwater collection system, maybe get some solar panels. Whatever you want to do to prepare for what you expect is coming, you can probably do it. One guiding principle in this is try to minimize your external dependencies. If you can feed yourself and live comfortably without a big shopping trip every week you are doing better than most. Independence from utilities is more difficult, but doable if you want to put the effort and money into it. Another principle is learn useful skills. Learn how to build things, fix things, buildings, cars, electric motors, etc. Most people jump to protecting yourself from bandits. Do you live in a high-crime area? If so maybe move. If not, take some reasonable self-defense precautions. You aren’t going to fight off an army or even a coordinated gang, so just don’t worry about it too much. Basically, live in an area where you get along with your neighbors and you help each other out. Bonus points if they are self-sufficient too.
I mean, you can’t predict what’s going to happen, so just try to insulate yourself from whatever system shocks might appear. You’ll need to adapt as the years go by and things get worse. Good luck. :-)
I have a novel planned about this. Basically, zombie apocalypse starts. People get infected, the lights go out in major cities and they lose radio contact, and the troupe of heroes, lead by a gritty survivalist, set down harsh rules for their camp to survive as long as they can.
Several months later after some harsh decisions and a few deaths, the radio hums to life again. Turns out, the city’s main antenna was damaged, and there was risk in fixing it. But, with some danger, life has proceeded as normal there; and they’re making steady breakthroughs on a cure for the infection. The government is active, finding who to help, and little of the “Brutal, tough decisions” of the survivor crowd were necessary.
First thing to understand is global collapse isn’t an event. It’s a slow process that unfolds over years, or more likely, decades. We are already seeing it happening, but since it’s not like the movies most of us don’t recognize it.
The second thing is that baring some major instant catastrophe you aren’t going to see hordes of displaced people fighting for your potatoes. It takes real desperation to pack a bag, leave all the rest of your things, leave your home, and walk far away hoping it’ll be better somewhere else. Even now people stay in some of the most dangerous and inhospitable places.
So, odds are you’ll have time to set up a garden, set up a rainwater collection system, maybe get some solar panels. Whatever you want to do to prepare for what you expect is coming, you can probably do it. One guiding principle in this is try to minimize your external dependencies. If you can feed yourself and live comfortably without a big shopping trip every week you are doing better than most. Independence from utilities is more difficult, but doable if you want to put the effort and money into it. Another principle is learn useful skills. Learn how to build things, fix things, buildings, cars, electric motors, etc. Most people jump to protecting yourself from bandits. Do you live in a high-crime area? If so maybe move. If not, take some reasonable self-defense precautions. You aren’t going to fight off an army or even a coordinated gang, so just don’t worry about it too much. Basically, live in an area where you get along with your neighbors and you help each other out. Bonus points if they are self-sufficient too.
I mean, you can’t predict what’s going to happen, so just try to insulate yourself from whatever system shocks might appear. You’ll need to adapt as the years go by and things get worse. Good luck. :-)
I have a novel planned about this. Basically, zombie apocalypse starts. People get infected, the lights go out in major cities and they lose radio contact, and the troupe of heroes, lead by a gritty survivalist, set down harsh rules for their camp to survive as long as they can.
Several months later after some harsh decisions and a few deaths, the radio hums to life again. Turns out, the city’s main antenna was damaged, and there was risk in fixing it. But, with some danger, life has proceeded as normal there; and they’re making steady breakthroughs on a cure for the infection. The government is active, finding who to help, and little of the “Brutal, tough decisions” of the survivor crowd were necessary.
Thanks.