Many people don’t realize the mental capacity needed to make it through a SHTF situation. It’s one thing to be physically fit and have the stamina to travel long distances on foot; it’s something entirely different to be able to carefully think through and evaluate potentially life-threatening scenarios. Indeed, making a decision too fast without considering all factors can expose you to danger. This is why it is important to enter the Survivorman Zones of Assessment, so that you can take all factors into account and make the best decision possible.

Zone 1 – Your body and clothes

Zone 1 requires that you evaluate your personal situation. Ask yourself the following questions: Are you hurt? Are you tired or hungry? What are you wearing? What do you have in your pockets? If you are not alone and happen to be in a survival situation with a group of people, each and every person should ask themselves the same four questions to determine what the group has collectively. This may even require saying “everyone empty out your pockets – let’s take stock.” (Related: Make sure to avoid these common mistakes when prepping for SHTF.)

Zone 2 – Your immediate vicinity

Zone 2 is the area immediate to you – that is, the surrounding area within a few thousand feet. Ask yourself the following questions: Do you have a tent? Do you have a canoe or a similar method of transporting yourself across bodies of water? Do you have any food or water in packs? What else is in your immediate vicinity – firewood? Spare gasoline inside of an abandoned vehicle? What can you glean from your immediate surroundings? Are there any materials that you can use to craft something that could aid in your survival? (Related: Here’s how to think like a survivalist and mentally prepare for a SHTF scenario.)

Zone 3 – Your extended area

 Zone 3 is further beyond, up to a few miles away from your immediate vicinity. In zone 3 of the Survivorman Zones of Assessment, you should ask yourself the following: How far away are you from a safe location? Do you know if there is a cabin or some other form of shelter that isn’t too far away from you? Which direction do you have to travel in to get to safety and how difficult do you think it will be to get there? Is everyone up for the task of traveling with you to safety? Does anyone know that you are in trouble? If so, how long will it be before they can rescue you? How soon can you move? Do you know the answers to these questions for sure, or did you have to guess on some of them?

Going through all three zones and answering these questions only takes 60 to 90 seconds for most people, and yet by the end you have an enormous amount of information regarding your surroundings and your current condition. After being processed and evaluated, this information can be used to make the best decisions possible and may even save your life.

When all is said and done, the best preppers aren’t just the ones who have stockpiles of food or full bugout bags; rather, the best preppers know how important it is to have the right mindset. In a SHTF scenario, your head has to be clear and each and every choice you make has to be the right choice. As Brian Meyer of SurvivalBased.com put it: “The prepper’s mindset is less about what you believe might cause the downfall of society and is mostly about thinking ahead and making sure you and your family are as safe and prepared as you can be.”

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Sources include:

TheSurvivalistBlog.net

SurvivalBased.com