You Won’t Be Able to Do That After T-SHTF

How many times have you heard this as a canned response to just about anything?  I’ve seen it in the comments section here and in other blogs, people are quick to point out that after T-SHTF (think a major event), whatever it is that is being discussed will not be relevant and therefore the author or topic starter is also irrelevant.   I suppose that the irony is after an EMP strike (example) there wouldn’t be any internet either, so why are those folks taking the time to read and comment online?  Shouldn’t they be rubbing two sticks together to create fire while burning furniture parts, living the good old life of no readily available medicine or modern transportation?  Someone gets an infection: amputate.  Gotta go to the store: walk 26 miles and then try to barter with the 17 year old kid at the checkout, barter some animal pelts for some coffee creamer and various exotic cheeses.  Toothache: shot of whiskey and pair of pliers.  Throw away all forms of communication, they no longer exist (smoke signals?).  Mortgage payment and property taxes?  Nah, that won’t exist after SHTF so no need to worry about that either.

I could go on and on as I sit here in a 70 degree climate controlled room, wood stove burning crackling as the snow falls outside.  Later I’ll hop on my ATV and plow out the drive, then come back and pull some nicely packaged meat out of the fridge to make some chili utilizing a modern stove and cookware.  I’ll probably enjoy said chili while scrolling through my laptop which gets an internet feed from the satellites far above while my TV plays softly, also fed by a satellite signal.  Later on I’ll shower, hot water heater providing some nice water and then I’ll put on some fresh clothes cleaned earlier by the washing machine / dryer.  These are things that one could only dream about in the not so distance past, why are they such a bad thing?

Super Prepper Guy

Of course I’m being entirely over the top here but it’s because I’m trying to make a point.  Just because things could get bad doesn’t mean that the modern conveniences we enjoy in the here and now are irrelevant.  Certainly one should prepare as best one can given the circumstances and while that stacks the deck in one’s favor I should point out: NOBODY is as prepared as they think they are and NOBODY is prepared for everything.  I don’t care who you are, maybe you live on a 500 acre ranch in Montana with cattle and a 20 member family and 30 years of food and water and a tier 1 security team surrounding a multi million dollar bunker / outpost…if the dominoes fall a certain way there could be a chance the apartment dweller in NYC has a better chance of survival than the aforementioned super prepper guy.  While the chance might seem small, it exists and should be acknowledged.  No plan survives first contact.

What’s the Point?

You must do the best you can with what you have and if/when this thing goes sideways, you’ve got what you’ve got.  The whole idea of “you won’t be able to do that after T-SHTF” doesn’t mean you should shun society and modern conveniences altogether.  There is a disturbing undercurrent of nostalgia associated with going back to the old ways and I challenge anyone who is “off the grid” who needs heart surgery to allow a surgeon to conduct that operation to the standards of early 1800’s America.  I didn’t think so.

Final Thoughts

We prepare to the best of our abilities so that when things happen, no matter how big or small, we will be able to rely on ourselves vs waiting for “someone to do something” and subsequently falling victim to _________.  As stated all the preps in the world really do not guarantee anything but rather certainly increase one’s chances, maybe.  I don’t seek a SHTF scenario but disturbingly enough I believe that some misguided souls do so that they can prove their worth.  These people should be avoided at all cost, they are a liability.  Work hard, prep hard but also take the time to enjoy the modern conveniences that the world has to offer.  There might come a time when some of these conveniences do not exist and if/when that happens it will not be as nostalgic as some believe.  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section…I’m off to plow snow with my dog.