When SHTF, do you already have a plan? If you can no longer stay at home, do you think you can live in the wilderness? Ask yourself these questions so you can prepare better.
How to Live in the Wildnerness When SHTF
A popular way of dealing with the full-scale collapse of society is to bugout. The bugout is basically a means of leaving your home and community when things become untenable.
There are some serious disaster situations that will require you to leave home and never come back or maybe not for a LONG time, such as:
- Radiological Disaster
- Civil Unrest and Tribal Warfare in the Cities and Suburbs
- Deadly Pandemic
- Massive Natural Disaster i.e. Yellowstone Super Volcano, New Madrid Major Quake
Just to name a few.
Since most people are limited by how much money they have, the defacto bugout location is often a spot in the wilderness. This is the cheapest place that is far away from people so many preppers take advantage of it, in theory.
Living in the wild, even for a short time, is incredibly challenging. If you aren’t spending time in the woods already, you are at a detriment. To cut through the noise, I thought it would be interesting to ask yourself seven simple questions that will help you decide whether you can really live in the wilderness.
What do you like to eat?
Are you eating fish, game meat, and wild plants? Have you before? The things that you like to eat will tell you a lot about how you will fare in the woods for a long period of time. You will eat bitter nuts, gamey meats, and maybe even some bugs!
If you are a picky eater, the woods might not be the best option for you.
How much do you love your bed?
Our climate-controlled existence is something we take for granted. Even most of the hiking and camping crowd do much of their camping in the most seasonable weather. This is for good reason. I mean who wants to be out in the woods when it’s 20 degrees or when its 98 degrees?
If you have done this or are willing to suffer through this and have the skill and gear to stay alive through this, then you may be able to lvie in the wilderness succesfully.
Can you really make a fire?
Making and sustaining fire requires practice. Many people can start a fire, but it takes planning to sustain that fire and to plan for your next fire. Fire will be how you cook, keep warm, make your drinking water safe and it will also be your light in the darkness.
Can you identify plants, trees, animals, and fish?
When you look into the woods, what do you see? Trees and stuff? Do you see an oak, a poplar, a hazelnut bush and some brambles that are fruiting? Do you see a willow and think, ‘fever reducer,’ or notice the school of sunfish in the small creek nearby?
What can you identify in the woods? There are life-sustaining foods in the woods, and there are fungi that will kill you if you eat them.
Are you good with a knife? An Axe?
How do you feel with a sturdy fixed bland knife in your hands? What about an axe? You will need to be proficient with each if you are going to have success in the woods. The axe will be how you split wood to keep warm and the knife will be used for most of your cutting, butchering, and carving tasks.
You should also be able to stop the bleeding when you have an accident with these blades. The sharpening of them will be vital, too!
What are your favorite creature comforts?
Think about the things that you cannot live without. What are those things that you really enjoy about home? Are you a cozy book reader? Are you a long hot shower taker?
Be honest about this and consider whether or not you can live without these things because many of our creature comforts will be gone once you step foot outside of your home.
How good are you at starving?
Maybe the most unnerving question on this list, it is a reality of living on wildland. Food is never promised and there will be times, like early spring, when you and yours will be starving. From the Native Americans to the settlers at Jamestown, everyone has had starving periods when struggling with subsistence living.
Learn from Your Weaknesses
This article is not about scaring you. It is not about driving you away from your wilderness bugout or aspirations. By answering these questions, you have likely learned a lot about yourself. You learned about your weaknesses, too!
Now you can use this information to hone in on the things you need to study, practice, and master. Just because you aren’t prepared to live in the wilderness doesn’t mean you cannot become a serious woodsman in a years’ time. That is the beauty of being honest with yourself and identifying shortcomings.
With consistent practice, you can become a force!
How confident are you that you can live in the wilderness? Please share your thoughts in the comments section!
Up Next:
- A Guide To Meat Preservation In The Wild
- Wilderness First Aid Basics You Should Know
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