It’s a simple question on the surface: is it better to spend more effort stockpiling basic needs, or preparing to acquire them on site?

Some refer to this dilemma as “Butter vs. Bullets.” I prefer “Apples vs. Ammo.” Unfortunately, the mercurial nature of disasters quickly complicates things. Just for the sake of argument, let’s focus on water. Nutritional needs might be met through hunting (a debate all its own), or even ignored for a short while – but water is neither easily procured nor safely ignored.

Think about the role water plays in your daily life. Drinking is only the start. Sanitation, cooking, hygiene – every aspect of survival leans on a reliable source. Filtering water may work in a wilderness survival context, but disasters introduce a whole different set of variables.

Take this challenge posed by Dr. Bradley in Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family:

Heavy rains have flooded the nearby water treatment facility, introducing two dangerous pathogens (Giardia and Shigella) into the water supply. Local authorities have issued an order to use bottled water or to boil all tap water. The rains are expected to continue for the next five days. How will you provide clean drinking water for your family? Do you understand the risks that these pathogens pose? (Bradley, 2012)

At first glance, the solution seems straightforward – just keep boiling water. Yet any storm powerful enough to flood a treatment plant could easily knock out power as well, and with it your electric stove or easy access to fuel. What then? Could you come up with an alternative? Even if the answer is yes, having a small cache of water to bridge that gap would prove invaluable.

This is another example of why a well-rounded preparedness mindset is far more practical than focusing entirely on one strategy. A garage full of water and food isn’t feasible for most people to maintain. At the same time, developing the skills to provide for every need on site is equally unrealistic. The smartest course? A balanced approach – learn basic survival skills, and keep some fundamental supplies on hand. That combination might turn out to be the most resilient choice of all. Survival skills and keeping some basic supplies on hand, might prove to be the most beneficial.

References

Bradley, A. T. (2012). Handbook to practical disaster preparedness for the family. Lexington, KY: Arthur T. Bradley page 50.