In the modern world, most of us don’t often contemplate survival. Back in our hunter-gatherer days, humans had to worry about predators, war, famine, and harsh elements - any of which could snuff out life with nary a moment’s notice. Today, we’re pretty well insulated from these threats, but in a way this leaves us even more vulnerable than our nomadic ancestors.

It’s easy to take peace and prosperity for granted. Just because things in our personal lives and in society are working well now, it may not always be this way. However, history shows us that this is rarely the case. Whether you fall victim to a life-threatening home invasion, or live through the next major economic collapse, you may have to fight for your own survival in a way you never previously thought possible.

So how do we prepare for worst case scenarios like these? It all starts with the home, your place of refuge when things go from bad to worst.

Protection Against People

It’s important to keep your home secure against those who might enter it against your will. Start by ensuring that your doors are strong and securely locked. Perform the same safety check on your windows. Consider adding bars to ground level windows, especially if you live in an area with lots of foot traffic, and invest in a security camera system if this is appropriate for your situation. Enhancing this basic level of home security can make your home an inconvenient target for a burglar.

It may also be a good idea to buy a weapon or two, which could come in handy in a variety of unpleasant occurrences. If you’re accustomed to guns, buy a gun or two. If you’re not accustomed to guns, but want one anyway, consider buying a shotgun. This will be useful for protection in many scenarios, and won’t be as dangerous or troublesome to manage as a handgun, particularly if you don’t have years of experience. Make sure to train with any guns you bring into your life, and make sure that anyone in your household who could access your guns does the same.

Protection Against Social Breakdown

While society may be pretty stable where you live, we know from world news that this is not always the universal case. Energy shortages occur, currencies collapse, rebellions break out, and supplies stop being delivered in times of war. How will you be prepared when and if the next social breakdown occurs?

You’ve already protected your home with security measures and weapons. Now it’s time to prepare your pantry for the worst. Having months worth of water and shelf-stable food is a must, if you’re worried about your ability to get supplies in the case of an emergency. Similarly, a generator (and other off grid living methods) can make sure you’re supplied with energy when others are without. You may even want to find a way to supply your water needs from a well, rather than city water, or to capture and purify rainwater for the same purpose.

Having a large garden for food and natural medicine will also be indispensable in a social breakdown scenario. Your survival won’t be bound to what foods may or may not be delivered to your local megamart. Instead, you’ll have food independence in the form of nutritious crops, and possibly even livestock such as chickens, pigs, or cattle.

The last obvious requirement for long term survival in a long term disaster situation is money or wealth. Money in the form of fiat currency (Dollars, for example) may not be useful for exchange if the value of this currency is severely depressed, as has happened with Venezuelan hyperinflation. Instead, having wealth in easily tradable forms, such as gold and precious metals, may be the better bet.

There are endless ways to prepare your home and lifestyle for survival scenarios. Hopefully, you’ll never have to put these plans into action, but you will have the peace of mind that comes from knowing you and yours will be safe, no matter what.