Prepare: Stay In Place

One of the big survivalist discussions that goes back in forth is:

Stay in Place vs Bug Out

Which naturally spawns a discussion:

Stay in Place in city/suburbs vs "heading for the hills/country"

Which eventually deteriorates into:

"All of you people in the city/surburbs/exoburbs are gonna die".

Now that we have that out of the way, let's get back to "Staying in Place" and the strategy behind it.

Bug Out: The Complete Plan for Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It's Too Late

First, to "stay in place" means to stay where you currently live full time be it your home in the city, surburbs or rural location in the event of a SHTF event. Most scenarios and locations lend themselves to staying in place. Even in a city, with proper preparations, one can make themselves nearly invisible.

However, having a location that is somewhat remote is probably better in the long run.

The first concern with staying in place is security. And being invisible is far better than having a huge force of armed guards and watches. A big presence means you have something worth having and it is matter of time before someone shows up with more bad guys and guns to take it. Living under the radar post SHTF is paramount.

The Secure Home
Next is knowing your surroundings. Hunkering down and hoping nobody finds you is foolish. Know the roads and ways to get to your location. Keep tabs on any other persons in your area of operation. Know the status on nearby centers of population be they a town or another group of survivors. Knowing what is going around you involves communications (monitoring radio and CB frequencies), line of sight (seeing what others are doing) and remote monitoring of the perimeter (remote cameras or basic trip wire alerts if need be).

Next is supply with water coming first. A home in the suburbs or in the city makes it hard to have a constant water supply. Even water catchment systems are limited by rainfall. Having a creek or river nearby is nice, but what happens if someone pollutes it upstream? A safe and secure water source such as a well, (or more than one) is required.

Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management
Food. Stored food will only be available so long. You will need more food than you think so plan on having the ability to grow and produce more and count on failure.

Medical. Not a doctor or trained in medicine? Find someone who is or expect that you and yours will have a short and possibly brutal ending lifespan. Manual labor, defense and salvage put the average person at risk for injury or death a hundred ways. Don't count on a medical book and some downloaded how to pages as your only medical plan.

Where There is No Doctor
Energy. This one is overlooked in so many ways. Sure, a hydro electric, wind or solar power system are nice, but energy comes in so many other forms and is mandatory for life. Energy includes having a large supply of firewood (fuel) and the safe means to burn it for warmth and cooking.

Finally, a way out. Staying in place can work, but there is a margin of error even if you have a million dollar survivalist retreat with all the comforts of home. No prepper can prevent or avoid an earthquake, wild fire, flood or tornado which wipes out their home. Be prepared for relocation without becoming a refugee.

Staying in place is perhaps the smartest move a prepper can make. You know your surroundings, might have years of supplies in place and possibly may know where to get more. However, a plan must be decided upon before the SHTF.