What will your priorities be?

Hello my friend and welcome back. In today’s post, we are going to look at what your primary goals should be when it all goes South.  As Preppers, we spend a lot of time and money preparing for SHTF. However, when SHTF what will your priorities be?  Let’s talk about it while you set and visit for a while.

So what will your priorities be when SHTF hits? Will you run, hide, try to find help or maybe try travelling to reach your family when it all goes south?  I know that many of you are thinking that it will depend on where you are and what the crisis is when it hits.  That’s understandable, but have you thought it through completely and planned accordingly?  You need to sit down and draw up a clear set of priorities for when it happens based on all possible scenarios. It won’t matter if it is an earth quake or a nuclear attack, your priorities should be the same and your number one priority should be to survive!

I meet people all the time that say that they really don’t know how to set priorities for such an event. It is good that they can admit it, because now they can at least try to figure out how to do it.  In today’s post, I want to give you a list of my priorities and hopefully help to set yours as well.  Like I said before Surviving is your first priority. Simply put, if you need to hide or run or just hunker down where you are to keep from getting killed by any immediate threats, then that is what you do!  Once the immediate threat has passed, then you can determine the best course of action and what to do next.  Keeping your head in any emergency is the key to survival.

OK, so the, immediate danger has passed, now what do you do? First things first, treat any injuries you may have and then locate water and food before you do anything else.  Whether you plan to stay where you are, or travel to a safer place, you will need both of these.  As you look for these, keep your eyes open for additional items that you can use to survive, such as a lighter or wood for a fire.  This will save time later when you need to build a fire to stay warm or cook on.  Remember however that water is your primary concern as you can only live 3 days without it at the most.  It should be your primary priority once any immediate danger has passed.

Next you will want to locate shelter from the elements and something to eat. Whether you decide to stay or move on, you will need time to gather thoughts and whatever materials you might need for the road.  Now is the time to think things through and make careful plans on how to proceed.  The last thing you want to do is to make a rash decision and get yourself killed because you didn’t think it through.  If you are going to travel then take the time to plan out your route and don’t forget to consider that other people will be doing the same and that in itself could pose another danger.  Avoiding people while travelling is a good practice and one you should consider.  Resist the idea that there is strength in numbers while this may be true when fighting, when traveling, stealth is your friend.  Your goal while traveling is to be a Ghost!  It is the only sure-fire way to make it to your destination in one piece.

Your next priority should be to find a way to defend yourself if you don’t have one already. Whether it’s a gun or a stick or a rock, find a way to defend yourself from physical attack.  Before you decide to stay where you are, consider whether or not it is defendable and if it is within easy reach of water and food.  If not then you may be better off looking for a better place to hold up.  The point I am trying to make here is that you need to stop and think now about what your priorities will be when SHTF hits.  Write them on a piece of paper and carry them in your wallet if you need to.  Just be sure that you have them with you when the time comes.  Remember these 6 priorities, :

1. Safety – Protect yourself from any immediate danger.
2. First aid – address any immediate injuries that you may have.
3. Water – Once you are safe and have treated any injuries, water will then become your highest priority and locating it can mean the difference between life and death.
4. Food – while you can go without food for up to 3 weeks, you need to locate it as soon as possible to retain your strength.
5. Self-defense– find a way to defend yourself even if you don’t believe there are any threats around at the time. You never know when things will turn nasty and you will have to protect yourself.
6. Shelter – Find shelter from the cold, rain or heat that may be present at the time. Getting sick from exposure will do you no good at all.

If you plan now and set the priorities firmly in your mind then when the time comes, you will better prepared to face whatever the challenge is. Well, I guess that is it for today and I hope you have enjoyed today’s post.  I hope in some small way I may have helped you to prepare a little better.  Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared my friend!

-The Sargent-