I’ve been watching The Walking Dead a lot lately and it’s got me wondering: would I survive an apocalypse? If I had to survive off the land, could I? If another depression hit, would I make it through? I’ve owned the book “Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century” for years and I’m only just now starting to read it. I’m always saying I wish had my grandparents knowledge, those depression era survival skills. There’s really no reason I can’t start learning now. So I’ve developed a list of questions I’d like to be able to answer yes to if I had to survive through hard times (in no particular order). Some are survival-related while others have more to do with self-sufficiency. How many can you answer yes to?
1. Do you have an emergency stash of food, water, and money set aside?
2. Do you have a meeting place or safe place to go to in the event of catastrophe?
3. Do you have an alternative energy source like solar panels, a generator, biofuels, etc?
4. Do you know how to harness energy from wind, water, or the sun?
5. Do you know how to make a fire? (How about without a lighter)?
6. Do you know how to sow seeds?
7. Are you able to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables?
8. Can you identify edible berries, mushrooms, and other plants?
9. Do you know how to trap and/or hunt both small and big game?
10. Do you know how to can and preserve food?
11. Can you protect yourself? With or without weapons?
12. Do you know how to breed and maintain chickens, goats, or other farm animals?
13. Do you know how clean, gut, and prepare livestock?
14. Are you familiar with various medicinal properties of plants and herbs?
15. Do you know how to treat and dress a variety of injuries?
16. Could you build a shelter if you had to?
17. Can you navigate and orient yourself without a map or compass?
18. Do you own a variety of tools and useful items?
19. Are you in good physical health?
20. Are you able to leave your location or the country in a hurry if you had to?
I’m sure there are many other questions worth asking if there was ever a catastrophe. I’m not a doomsday prepper, but I certainly find a lot of theirs skills to be both practical and useful. How well would you do in an apocalypse?