Bad Survival Plans That Could Get You Killed

Oh my gosh. No, you probably won't. You might try to hunt, but guess what? Loads of other people have this same idea. Unless you live hundreds of miles from civilization, the population of deer and wild turkeys will be quickly decimated in an event that renders the food delivery system inoperable.

Furthermore, hunting is not as easy as simply wandering into the woods, taking aim with a rifle, and popping a wandering buck in the head. Have you ever hunted? Have you done so recently? Have you ever field dressed an animal? Can you hit a moving target? Do you know how to set up snares? Do you know how to butcher and preserve meat? Are you in good enough shape to drag a 200-pound carcass through the woods?

If you can't say yes to every single question listed here, hunting should probably not be your go-to plan for feeding your family.

This is closely related to Bad Strategy #1 — but it's worse. Living in the wilderness is not going to be a marshmallow roast. First off, there are no marshmallows out there. Just lots of predators and food that has to be killed and skinned before you can eat it.

In this strategy, people like to talk about their proximities to a national forest. "There are thousands of acres, just on the other side of my fence." Okay. But when is the last time you went into that forest more than a few miles on foot? Did you spend more than a couple of nights there? Was the weather inclement? What are your local predators? Do you have a camping kit that you can carry in on foot?

In many climates, getting wet is a death sentence. Have you ever lit a fire with wet wood? Have you ever camped outside of a campground area?

If bugging out on foot is one of your plans, I'd like to suggest you pick a clear day, put on a loaded backpack and some hiking boots, and go for a practice hike to your location. Go ahead. I'll wait here.

There is a large contingent of armchair preppers who have this idea. However, they don't exercise regularly. They look back 20–30 years to their high school or military glory days. Just because you were once very physically fit, that doesn't mean you are still able to hike up a mountain in bad weather with a 50-pound kit on your back.

This is a classic recipe for a heart attack. Extreme over-exertion. High-stress situation. High-sodium food. Out-of-shape person. If your bug-out route is a long distance or over difficult terrain, you need to get out there and start training before you put the lives of everyone in your team or family at risk.

Ah, the rugged loner. This is not a winning plan for many reasons. Being with a group, even a small one, has many benefits. Humans started banding together to survive millions of years ago — because there's safety in numbers.

If you live by yourself, you can't collect food, improve your fighting position, patrol the area, chop wood, filter water, and be on all sides of your property — all at once. Plus, you have to devote a large amount of your day to sleeping each night. Even a small group of 12 has a HUGE advantage to defending an area and continuing on with other operations at the same time.

It isn't just enough to have a team, either. You need to train with your team, tactically, with an expert if possible. Not every moment in a SHTF situation will be like a scene from an action-adventure movie. We'll still eat dinner, read a book, talk with others, sleep, and have relationships.

The post-SHTF life expectancy of those who plan to survive by raiding others will probably be a short one. Those of us who are really prepared won't stand around wringing our hands when you come to attempt to relieve us of our supplies. We've prepared for people like you, too.

If the situation is WROL (without rule of law), it's pretty much a given that the justice meted out by the intended victims will be swift and final.

Do you have prepper tools that are still in the box? How often do you make it to the shooting range? When's the last time you actually felled a tree then chopped firewood? When did you do it without a chainsaw?

Skill with an axe is not a given. Accurate aim doesn't stay with you if you don't practice. Not only is it vital to practice using your tools during good times, but you need to test your tools to be sure that they operate as intended. I once purchased a water filtration system that was missing an essential gasket — totally useless. Because I checked it before I needed it, I was able to get a replacement.

Seeds are a very important thing to store. However, if you store them to the exclusion of food, you're going to have a really bad time. The problem with depending on seeds for your food supply is that Stuff Happens. Stuff like droughts. Stuff like aphids. Stuff like blossom-end rot. Stuff like the thrice-damned deer that managed to get past your fence.

First-year gardens almost never produce what you expect them to. A garden should not be a stand-alone survival plan. It is a vital part of a long-term preparedness scenario, but you must also be prepared for the potential of failure.

Generators are loud, smelly, and finite. If you want to bring attention to yourself in the midst of a down-grid scenario, the surest way to do it is to be the only house in the area with lights blazing in every window. Generators are commonly stolen, because they're impossible to hide, rumbling away beside your house.

Keep in mind that this is not a long-term solution. There's only so much fuel that anyone can store. Eventually, it's going to run out. My personal preparedness plan is to revert to a low-tech lifestyle that doesn't require electricity.

The mere presence of a fireplace or woodstove does not warmth create. It took me an entire month of daily trial, error, and frustration to master a fire that would warm the house. I also learned that cooking on a woodstove was not as easy as sitting a pot on top of it.

If using your fireplace or woodstove is part of your survival plan, how much wood do you have? Is it seasoned and dry? Can you acquire more? Have you actually chopped wood before? The good news is, you can make this strategy work — as long as you ramp up your wood supply and begin using your fireplace on a regular basis to work out the bugs now.

This is a terrible idea on so many levels it's hard to know where to start. When utilities are interrupted, those in large metropolitan areas are left with few options. Store shelves will quickly be emptied before and after disasters, leaving little to scavenge.

Cities will be populated with desperate people, some of whom were criminals before the disaster struck. Highly populated areas without outdoor space will quickly become death traps in the wake of a disaster.

Mentally preparing for disasters is a very important step. The prepper mindset is one of problem-solving and flexibility. It's a unique way of looking at a situation, assessing the options, and acting.

By refusing to consider the things that could happen, you run the risk of being unable to immediately accept it when it does happen. This sets you up for a very dangerous period of hesitation that could mean a death sentence for you and those who depend on you.

With folks who intend to raid others around, it's no wonder that some people intend to shoot first and ask questions later. However, instead of just protecting you, this can actually make you a target. Less than ethical people may start to wonder what you are protecting so stringently, and may work to develop a plan to overtake you.

Those who survive some life-changing event will be the new founders of our society. Do you really want to live in a place where people have to shoot first and ask questions later? How we choose to live will set the course for how we continue to live.