WTSHTF

If you are unfamiliar with this abbreviation, google it. I shouldn't have to do all the work... Are you done? Cool, welcome back. There are 3 generally accepted tiers or levels of events one might want to prepare for. I will take this a step further and suggest that there are then in fact 3 different levels of a prepper which obviously correlates to the event they are prepared for. 

Tier 1- Power outage, snow storm, earthquake, hurricane, pick your poison. In these there is no government collapse or catastrophic grid failure. Yea your power might be out for a little while and you could get hurt but you know sooner than later someones gonna come for you. These events typically last a few days to a couple weeks. Ever been to a grocery store a day before a big storm? If you are a type 1 prepper you don't have to. You already have ready to eat food or a means to cook without power and you have the FEMA recommended gallon of water per person per day stocked for several days. You may even have a small generator to keep things powered until they put the poles back up. Good for you.

Tier 2- War, civil unrest, economic disaster, other scary words. These events can vary wildly in their effects and durations and they are not something we typically have to worry about here in the first world. But make no mistake my little one's, history doesn't care. Every generation and civilization before us thought they were living in the modern times, that they were at the pinnacle of achievement. That nothing could or would be able to bring them down. Rome am I right? Ha.ha.ha. Overused example aside. It’s true. Granted it may be that when it is over some sense of normalcy could be restored. Think post great depression or rebuilding after a world war. The duration of the event and what state the world may be in after is very dependent upon the event. 

Tier 3- Doomsday. Total apocalypse. Nuclear Armageddon. Asteroid impact. Zombies? Eh. That's kind of 2018 but you can dream. In this category there is no chance of a return to the status quo rather it may very well bring with it the near extinction of the human race and is unique in that a tier 3 prepper must not only survive whatever cataclysm there may be but be prepared and able to thrive beyond it. This category is the reason for most of the prepper mockery and frankly may be a bit of a fool's errand depending on how it goes down. I mean no amount of time or skill or stockpiled sunscreen is gonna save you if the planet is stripped of its ozone by some freak solar flare but maybe it’ll be something more fun. I'm thinking post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland. Like the Fallout video game series but without those pesky (and pricey) DLC’s. This is where your survivalists will have the upper hand.