Natural Disasters
Disaster can strike at any time no matter where you are. Whether it be an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or wildfire, it is always better to be prepared than to wish you were prepared. Here are some tips to prepare for and get through the days should disaster strike in your area.

REMAIN CALM and TRUST YOURSELF
Easier said than done right? You must remember that during a disaster you will be under stress and may indeed have to summon your self-reliance. If you are filled with fear, doubt, chaos and anxiety you cannot expect to happily find self-reliance. Pay attention to what things may trigger these feelings in you and take the steps to strengthen yourself in those areas. Educate yourself on the kinds of equipment you will be using in a disaster emergency and PRACTICE.
Rule of Threes or Fours
​If you... , You could be dead in...
​Panic, 3 to 4 seconds
​Have no oxygen, 3 to 4 minutes
​Have no shelter, 3 to 4 hours
​Have no water, 3 to 4 days
​Have no food, 3 to 4 weeks
​Fall apart as a group, 3 to 4 minutes, hours, days, weeks, months.
Physical Preparation
Your physical stress and sanitary conditions will greatly affect your survival scenario. If you are sleep deprived, dehydrated, hypothermic or hyperthermic, you will be limited. It is strongly recommended that you maintain a proper level of physical fitness in your every day life as well as maintain your health, rest and hygiene. These will give you a leg up should you find yourself in any kind of survival situation.

Mental and Emotional Preparation
TRUST YOURSELF! Confidence is vital and you WILL be confident if you do the following:
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Plan ahead properly.
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PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! Make sure you know how to use all of your equipment and be sure to practice using it so when the time comes, you will know what to do with confidence.
Learn the best ways to communicate with your household and practice cooperation skills.
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Having your own personal belief system can also be helpful in making for a less stressful experience.

Materials Preparation
What equipment you decide to have depends on your individual needs, but make sure your equipment has been tested and is kept in proper working order. Having a backup of critical items will be useful in case of theft, loss, breakdowns, sharing with others, etc.

Dangerous Scenario Preparation
Play out possible disaster scenarios with your household and/or neighbors. Strange things can happen and mentally walking through those scenarios will help you better prepare should those scenarios come to light. Talk about rendezvous points and leadership roles in the event of an environmental or civic emergency.
Spiritual Preparation
Whatever your belief system may be, having a good relationship with your spiritual side can be an extremely powerful force that will help with positive thinking.
How much and for how long?
1. Count how many members are in your tribe, including pets.

2. Count how many children, elderly, special-needs members, and pets are in your tribe. The young and the old will have different needs including nutrition, entertainment, healthcare, first-aid, sanitation, and mobility. Make sure you have items that can cater to their specific needs including medications. Don't forget your pet food either!

3. How long your emergency will last. No one can know this for sure, but make educated decisions on what supplies your will need based on your area and what kinds of emergencies are likely to occur in your area. ​

4. Realistic opportunities to resupply your stock. Markets and stores may be difficult to get to or may be out of supplies. You may not be able to purchase anything or even travel due to dangerous conditions. Having a supply of food with a long shelf-life is smart, as well as having food that doesn't necessarily require heat to eat. To be safe, just plan to have your supply last as long as the last item on your shelf.

​5. Ration your supplies. Failing to ration supplies and switch into conservation mode will have negative effects on your tribe's ability to be self-reliant. Your situation may last three days, three weeks, or longer and having everyone live through to the end would certainly be ideal.

​6. Having a neighborhood support group. Get to know your neighbors and community members. They may have a vital item they are willing to share and group tasks are always easier to tackle with more hands. Plus having others to socialize with during stressful times can boost morale.

​7. Climate and season. Be sure to update and rotate the items in your emergency stash to meet the needs of the changing climates.

​8. The geographical location of your home. Know where you live! If you live in or near geographical areas that are vulnerable to certain types of tragedies take the necessary precautions to prepare for worst case scenarios.

​9. Ability to improvise and work with your environment. Do you live near a wooded area? A stream? Do you have a vegetable garden? Take into account your surroundings and know where potential supplies for firewood, shelter, food, water, etc. may be.