The Post-Apocalyptic era, a hypothetical setting in which the nation (potentially the world) has fallen into disorder and chaos either due to governmental collapse or natural disaster. Though I would like to emphasize the word hypothetical, I have to admit I’ve found myself pondering on this topic for some time now. This post is a result of those musings. Let me preface some more by saying that I do believe popular media, social trending and overly convincing talk-show hosts have taken end-of-world preparation to quite an extreme. I do not believe that zombies or Korean invaders will be our demise. However, after sifting through the fake media portrayals I believe it would be foolish to ignore the fact that some sort of preparation is indeed warranted for certain potential circumstances such as major natural disasters, war or civil unrest with the first being the most likely to occur.

Disclaimer time! If you haven’t already noticed, this post will be far from typical in comparison to my previous writings. There will be very little science or research incorporated into this post. I am simply using this outlet to share my personal thoughts. Therefore, this post should be treated as such.

Over the last number of months I’ve spent some spare time looking into general family preparedness. When my wife and I were married we were prompt in establishing a small food storage. I’ve looked at that food storage a number of times and wondered what I should REALLY be doing to prepare my family for an emergency situation. Will food storage really be enough? Some online searching and personal pondering brought me to the concept of a Bug-out-bag (BOB). The BOB is quite simply a mobile 72-hour kit. Everything your family needs is packed into an easy-to-carry hiking bag of some sort. For me, I went with the Teton Sports Explorer 4000 Internal Frame Backpack. Since purchasing the bag I’ve been in the process of slowly accumulating the items that will soon be the contents of my 72-hour kit. Perhaps in the future I’ll write another post on what I ended up putting in my kit and other experiences I’ve had as I’ve spent time building it.

Since starting this project I feel like I’ve made substantial efforts to fulfill my responsibilities as protector, provider and leader of our household. It’s on that thought that I’d like to carry the rest of this post. While building my BOB I couldn’t help but experience a number of moments when I wondered, ‘Drew, if something really does happen, will you be ready?’ In this context I wasn’t wondering if my BOB would be completed in time. Instead I was pondering on my personal preparation. Connecting a couple of extra dots – I wondered if when it came time to bust out my BOB and protect my family, would I know what to do, how to act, or who to trust?

Both the fictional and non-fictional media seem to portray the post-apocalyptic scenario as chaotic and frenzied. People suddenly approach life with an every-man-for-himself sort of mentality. Those who have them all of the sudden present their weapons for all to see. Houses become fortresses and stores become the equivalent of a Hunger Games Cornucopia. The sad truth, I believe, is that in many instances we have seen similar behavior following many real-life natural disasters. So, while movie producers are prone to magnify this potential scenario, there seems to be some truth to the fact that in a disaster scenario human behavior is beyond unreliable.

Here are my questions to the world: considering the potential scenarios painted in the last paragraph, is chaos truly an unavoidable outcome in a post-apocalyptic/post-disaster setting? Why is it that deep down our natural preset reaction is to disregard morals or civility in a time of crisis? What is the difference between the pre-apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic me?

Let me follow those questions up with saying that I realize there are many events in history during which communities pulled together and prevented the chaos that the rest of the world expected to occur. But that’s where my thoughts currently dwell. What is it about those communities that prepared them to rely on one another instead of hide from one another? What sort of preparation did those communities undergo to preserve neighbor-to-neighbor trust and integrity, to preserve morality? My father in-law and I have discussed preparation a number of times. He has mentioned many times that if some event were to occur, he feels better knowing that he can trust all of the neighbors on his block. Unfortunately I’m not entirely sure I could say the same. Our next door neighbors are great and more than trustworthy in my opinion but reaching farther down the block I have to admit I still have no idea who lives in many of those homes. Let’s reverse that viewpoint for a moment and also consider the likely fact that if I don’t know my neighbors, my neighbors likely do not know me. If they don’t know me, would they trust me? Not likely. Again, who is the post-apocalyptic me? When the crap hits the fan, will I be a dependent nobody? Will I shrink away with my family into our home and hope no one comes knocking on our door? Or will I be a part of a rebuilding community?

So here we are considering the social stability of a neighborhood and local community during a post-apocalyptic or generally devastating event. Here I am pondering about my place in the neighborhood or community. When tragedy strikes, who will I be portrayed as? Friend or foe? I’d like to suggest that these questions and scenarios are quite possibly some of the most important to consider as we prepare for the worst. Beyond that, I also believe that this is an area of preparedness that is too often overlooked. We are so ready to prepare our goods and our defenses but rarely take the time to consider our role and perception in our neighborhoods.

Here are my recommendations: 1) Meet your neighbors – take the time to introduce yourself and learn about your neighbors’ history, background, skills, beliefs, etc. 2) Become a neighbor – open your doors more often and let your community know that you exist. Make it clear that you area moral human and proud of it. 3) Encourage others to do the same – a neighborhood and community are of no value if only one person is connected.

I would propose that a connected neighborhood and community are vital to a successful long-term survival situation. When most people consider their survival event, how long does it last? 3 days? 1 month? What happens after that duration? Do we not all eventually end up with a community again? If that is true, then I would like to know that the community I belong to is prepared to be a community. I would like to know that I will be treated fairly and kindly so that I can fulfill my role as protector and father to my family. Most importantly, we must also remember that the goal of survival in a post-apocalyptic situation is not to simply hang on. Our goal is to rebuild and live. In order to reach that goal, a community must be re-born. Is it not true that a community who survived together is more likely to thrive together? Again this will likely be reserved for another post but I would think that a community or even a town/city who is capable of maintaining order and structure during a post-apocalyptic event would afterwards become a central hub for growth and new life.

The benefits of a socially familiar community seem to have no end in my mind. They might include: access to individuals with unique and useful talents, further surplus of supplies, abundant service and compassion among households, leadership and advice and multiple potential residences in case of events that destroy your own home. In a strictly militaristic viewpoint, home defense plans also receive support from friendly nearby neighbors. Robbers or plunderers are less likely to raid an area that is unified in its defense. Ultimately, and I know I keep coming back to this, the greatest benefit I believe is the earlier rebuilding opportunities. No body (especially me) wants to spend a considerable amount of time in survival mode. Sometimes the situation requires it but when possible civilization is the goal.

In conclusion I’d like to summarize and potentially organize the multitude of thoughts this post has likely turned into. Preparation for a catastrophic, regional (or larger) event is important for every family no matter where you live or how likely or unlikely it is to occur. Beyond basic survival preparation, I believe social and moral preparation is vital for a successful long-term survival plan that is intended to result in rebuilding and prosperity. Time and effort should be reserved for meeting neighbors and establishing yourself within society to the degree that your reputation is clearly deemed as good. These networks and relationships will provide you with opportunities to serve as well as receive the benefits of others’ goodness as well. In the end the questions should be asked – Who is the post-apocalyptic me? Who will my neighbors and my community know me as when tragedy strikes? Will I be ready to serve my neighbors and lead if necessary? I’d like to think that chaos and immorality in the post-apocalyptic setting could be preventable. If we personally fortify our morals and establish a social network that spreads community wide, perhaps we might just be able to preserve humanity in times of calamity.

– Please feel free to leave a comment on this post. I’m curious what you think about social and moral preparation for post-apocalyptic or similar events. What is important to you about who you’ll be or how you’ll act in such a situation?