Over the past century, nations have become intertwined across the globe and become less self-sufficient, for the good or the bad. While for most instances, this is not a huge issue, it does arise in times of conflict or crisis. Food sources can be disrupted, or fuel supply can suddenly lessen or go away completely depending on the situation.
In these types of situations, it may not be such a big deal for just one person. But when you have a family to also take care of, those disruptions can be a very big deal. Take a considerate look at the last large crisis times, COVID or even the most recent flooding in California, and see just how that affected people across the country and the world. But how do you help to lessen the toll it would take on your family unit and how do you protect yourselves?
Fundamental for Survival
Humans in general have basic needs for survival that we’re all taught early on. Those fundamentals for survival are food, water, shelter, clothing, and air. Every human needs all five of those things to continue to live. As with anything, the fundamentals are about being prepared. I’m not talking about going full prepper level of being prepared, but some forethought and planning are essential. Keeping your home or dwelling well stocked is the first step. This will look different depending on your individual needs but keeping extra things on hand at any given time and rotating through those things makes a world of difference.
Food
For instance, my home has a large pantry so I’m able to keep extra food on hand pretty easily for my family unit. We can rotate through things that we have in the pantry along with buying a little extra each month to keep our levels where we like them. Things that keep well in home storage can be a mix of dehydrated and canned, shelf-stable food items that can be used in a time of need. From dried beans to number 10 cans of dehydrated meals, a little planning ahead can make a difference in a crisis. Additionally, finding local sources of food is a great idea as well. Your food will be fresher and easier to come by.
Water
Water can be a tough one for folks to keep on hand. Plastic bottles are only stable for so long before the bottle can start affecting how the water tastes and can be damaged easier. If it is a natural disaster that you can see or plan for coming, an item such as a water BOB can work wonders. The item fits into a bathtub and allows for secure storage of potable water.
Clothing
Not everyone has the same concerns when it comes to those fundamentals, but for the most part, folks don’t really need to worry about the clothing aspect, especially if it’s a homebound crisis like COVID. Most people have enough clothing to survive at a given time, especially during a global crisis. Buying new might not be readily available but repurposing old or worn clothing will work.
Shelter
Shelter can be a tricky one in a global crisis. As we all saw during the COVID lockdowns, shelter was not a stable item, and many people were evicted or faced uncertain futures in their homes. But if you rent, it could be beneficial to you to find back-ups ahead of time, like a friend you can crash with if things go south. The shelter aspect is a tricky one to preplan for, but a little forethought can go a long way.
One thing I hear a lot from people is the comment that if a crisis hits, they’ll go to the mountains and live it out there. But that’s not feasible for most people who say that, and shelter is a big reason. Most people can’t reliably create their own shelter, so it usually is better to stay with what you know.
Air
Air is an interesting fundamental to try and plan for. There are different routes that people can take when it comes to air to breathe but it boils down to clean air for your dwelling and clean air outside your dwelling. Air filtration systems range from filtering for one room or an entire home and equally range in price from around $100 for a room filter up into the thousands for a full home filter. For outside the house, the options range from smaller masks to larger gas masks. I have no solid advice in this area, but it can’t hurt to have a few extra KN95 masks, as shown during the COVID timing.
Power
The one fundamental of survival that people don’t always think about is power. Power is NOT fundamental for survival, but it sure does make things easier for living. Having a generator to supplement the power grid can make things nicer at the home. From a power outage caused by a storm to brown and blackouts, having an extra source of electricity can make a world of difference.
Firearms
When talking about protecting your family in a global crisis, many folks discuss stockpiling firearms and ammunition. I’m not of an opinion that you need a full stockpile, but I do think firearms play a critical role in protection. Protection of yourself and your home, even just knowing that you are able to protect those things, can make a large difference in someone’s mental well-being, whether it is from firearms or not. Besides, what is right for someone in a metropolitan area may not be right for someone in a more rural area.
Before we get into any details or specifics, the key point when it comes to firearms is to make sure you have the training and the knowledge for whatever weapon you choose to keep. Especially during times of crisis, having that knowledge ahead of time plays a large role. It doesn’t matter what firearm it is you MUST be comfortable with it, particularly with handling and using it. And that goes for anyone in the family that will be handling the firearms or being around them.
Small Arms
Pistols and smaller caliber weapons are a good place to start when keeping a family safe in a crisis. When I say small arms, I’m meaning those pistol caliber weapons ranging from .22LR up through .45 ACP in either pistol or pistol caliber carbine form. They are easy to control and easy to operate, and almost everyone can operate them without much issue. As stated above, make sure you are familiar with the weapons you have and know them inside and out—training, training, and more training.
Handguns and smaller caliber rifles, like a .22lr, are good options. They can be used by most anyone including small-framed humans and appropriately trained youth. As most of us know already, small arms work great as concealed carry options along with being helpful inside a dwelling.
Rifles and Shotguns
Rifles and shotguns are almost as essential to protection as food and water. These allow for extra power that the pistol calibers can lack, and the reaching power as well. The larger caliber rifles have versatility with hunting as well as personal defense of your dwelling.
Having both a shotgun as well as a bigger bored rifle is pretty normal as each has its drawbacks and areas where they shine. Within times of unrest, like the riots we saw over the last few years, having a rifle that is able to shoot stronger rounds means that you can engage targets further away. I’m not saying to go out and buy something you don’t currently have. If you have a 5.56 or a shotgun, you’ll probably fare just fine. It’s about training and being cautiously confident in your own abilities.
Extra Parts
Along with any firearm you keep on hand for protection, extra parts are essential. Regardless of which firearm you choose to keep around during a crisis, having extra components on hand should be right up there along with the firearms. As we saw during the shutdowns with COVID, quality spare parts became extremely hard to come by, and if you did find them, you found a steep price tag with them.
In case of failure of those weapons, having spare parts to fix the weapon is a no-brainer. Right there with the spare parts is extra magazines. I’m not sure if there is a right number when it comes to extra magazines, but most magazines are inexpensive and easy to store so it can’t hurt to have more.
Self Sufficiency
The last topic that needs to be discussed with protecting your family in times of global crisis is your ability to be self-sufficient. With unknown food supplies or fuel supplies, it’s paramount to be able to take care of yourself and your family without relying on outside sources to rescue you. I’m not saying you need to be able to live off-grid, but what I am saying is you should have some valuable skills to help you out.
Things like being able to truly cook from scratch and how to make your own food from the supplies you have on hand will round out your abilities. It can be as simple as knowing how to bake your own bread or crackers. Also, being able to grow your own food or supplement your food supply can go a long way. You don’t need a full multi-acre farm to grow your own food. It can be done in a few small pots on a patio for a little extra. To add to that, check out being able to preserve your own food, like drying or canning. This is a way to create and save your own food for the future, even as a way to round out your storage.
One skill that will truly set you above the rest is a basic knowledge of first aid or some medical training. Having the supplies to go with those skills rounds it out. A fully stocked trauma kit with some medicines can make the difference between life and death. Knowing what to do and being able to act in those instances is a stellar skillset to have.
The last skill I’d recommend you brush up on is being able to sew and repair certain items in your own home. The supply chains will most certainly get disrupted as before so the ability to fix what you currently have will give you a leg up on others around you. There are loads of YouTube videos available on these topics. These might seem trivial but think about clothing or being able to fix something smaller in your house or vehicle. It makes you more self-sufficient and ready to face challenges in a crisis.
Conclusion
In the end, protecting your family during a global crisis is not a one size fits all sort of thing. You should implement your own risk assessment and see what is most important to you and your needs. Grabbing some extra cans of food at the store once a month or an extra box of ammunition can go a long way in the end. Being self-reliant and having some basic survival knowledge during a crisis could help you survive.
