So you have a Bug Out Bag packed and ready, your emergency food stores are topped up, and maybe you even have a Bug Out Vehicle ready and waiting, but what about a plan to actually use all this stuff to protect you and get you safely out of a true SHTF moment?
It’s best to look at a SHTF plan using the tried and true 5-W’s method with an H added in for good measure. It’s easy to focus on needs and easy to ignore how everything will come together. Check out the basics of a SHTF plan below to see if your ready for disaster.
Who
The first thing you need to plan for is who is involved in your plan. This will greatly alter the details of your SHTF plan, so knowing this first is vital. For example, if you’re planning to bug out with kids, you probably shouldn’t include long bouts of hiking in your plan, as they probably won’t be able to keep up. If your wife is pregnant you need to account for her current state during planning as well as after.
RELATED: The Basics of Building a Prepper Team
Make a list of people to include in your prep before you do anything else, and you’ll have the basis for the rest of the planning.
What
So what exactly are you planning for? Do you want to bug in or bug out? Are you planning for a nuclear disaster, earthquake, or tornado?
You need to determine what disasters are most likely in your area and then step back and look at the scenarios that, while unlikely, could happen. Think of the worst-case scenario and plan from there. Making a list of what scenarios you’re planning for will help you know what needs to be included in your overall SHTF plan.
Where
There are two parts to this one. First, where do you live? This will affect travel plans, possible disasters, danger from other people, and even the vehicle and supplies you need.
Second, you need to think about where you can go if you bug out. While few of us have a true bug-out location, having an idea of where you can go is very important. Think about location-sensitive needs for both where you are and where you can go to have the most well rounded plan.
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When
Even after you complete your SHTF plan you need to pay attention to when it is in the year currently. Make your plan for the current season, but make sure to update it as seasons change.
For example, it might be totally acceptable to hike a few miles to your cabin in the summer, but if the trail completely washes out in the spring and fall, you need a backup solution. The same goes for the clothing and supplies you’re planning on having. You don’t need to worry about keeping warm in the summer but if you live where it snows, winter planning will include a lot more warm clothes and blankets.
Why
This is an interesting question, but why are you making your plan? It’s easy to plan for planning’s sake, but that’s not good enough for a solid plan. You need to have a very good Why to make a plan that you’ll practice and stick to.
Think about the reasons you want to make a plan and why each item in it is in your list. A good Why is a very important driving force for preparedness, making it as important as any bug out bag.
SEE ALSO: Survival and the Importance of Planning
How
Once you have the basics of your plan in place, you need to figure out how you’ll enact it if the time comes. If you have an emergency bag at work you need to know how you’ll use its contents in an emergency. While it’s hard to practice escaping your office without getting the cops called on you, go over the escape in your head and even write it down if necessary.
Practice if you can, and if you can’t, walk through it until it’s second nature. Having emergency supplies is one thing and knowing how to use them is another thing entirely.
