Any type of massive survival crisis has the potential to separate you and your loved ones or survival group.
How you incorporate plans for that possibility into your overall survival strategy could make the difference between getting home or being stranded in a strange place!
“Craig worries that he may be trapped out of town and that all conventional forms of travel could be shut down. He always carries enough cash so that, no matter which city he’s in, he would be able to buy a bicycle, biking shoes, and whatever other equipment he would need to take him back to St. Louis.”
Craig has realized that getting home from hundreds of miles away when the world has erupted into chaos won’t be easy and he’s come up with a plan and is training for that possibility.
If this should happen, there will be countless scenarios which he may not have anticipated, but at least he has a plan for getting home. Your plan should include:
Transportation. Planning on hoofing it home? Better start getting into super-shape now and invest in an excellent pair of walking shoes/boots. If they’re waterproof, that’s even better. Tuck some Shoe-Goo in your emergency kit for quick repairs.
Water. Where you’re stranded and the terrain between you and home will determine if you will be able to find a plentiful supply of water on a regular basis. If you’re not sure you can, stay where you are.
Food. Can you set traps? Hunt and fish using alternative methods? Can you identify edible and medicinal wild plants? Do you know which parts are edible and which are poisonous? Do you know how to start a small fire for cooking and purifying water, and, if so, what will you use for a cooking pot?
Shelter. Putting up a lean-to is one thing, but surviving the elements within that shelter is quite another. A small, lightweight tent in your emergency kit would be a smart idea.
Security. You may be surrounded by people more desperate than you. More fit, more strong than you. Can you survive on your wits alone? What self-defense skills do you have?
Weather and terrain. Those will both change as you travel. Are you ready for all possibilities? Do you know of alternate routes that might be easier or would allow you to avoid populated areas?
5 Possible ways to survive post-EMP when miles separate you and your loved ones
Head home regardless, carrying with you the basics for survival, or whatever you can acquire. This option might work if you are in good physical shape, have no health issues, and are blessed with an enormous amount of luck.
Stay put and try to become an indispensable part of another group. If you have a bank of life-saving skills, such as knowing how to grow and preserve food, medical training, or can help guard your new group of fellow survivors. When the infrastructure begins to be rebuilt, you can then begin heading home.
Stay put and lay low. If you have the skills and knowledge, set up a wilderness camp and live off the land. You’ll end up dying a pretty quick death, most likely, but this is an option.
If you travel a lot, for business or pleasure, the chances of being separated from your loved ones when a survival crisis like an EMP hits are reasonably high.
Being prepared for that is critical to making sure you can get to where it is you need to be.
To read more on how to survive a survival incident when you are separated from your home and loved ones, check out The Survival Mom.