I’ve been prepping since before it was cool. Long before reality shows and survival YouTubers with million-dollar bunkers, I was squirreling away supplies, learning to start fires in the rain, and convincing my wife that yes, we really did need another solar battery charger. And for the most part, I felt ready. I had food, I had gear, I had plans A through Z.
But there’s one scenario that still haunts me. The one thing that, no matter how much gear I’ve stockpiled or skills I’ve sharpened, could bring it all crashing down.
And it’s probably not what you think.
Forget nuclear war, EMPs, or roving gangs of desperate people. My worst nightmare? Complacency.
The Comfortable Lie
Prepping, for all its rugged appearance, can be seductive. There’s a quiet satisfaction in a well-stocked pantry, in shelves lined with ammo cans and vacuum-sealed beans. You walk into that room and feel powerful, like you’ve outsmarted the system.
But that comfort is a double-edged sword.
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It lulls you into thinking you’re ready when you’re really not. It convinces you that because you’ve prepared for a crisis, you won’t panic when one comes. That because you’ve got the gear, you’ll automatically know what to do.
That’s a lie I told myself for years.
The Drill That Shook Me
A couple of winters ago, I decided to run a surprise drill on myself and my family. No power, no heat, no tap water for 48 hours. Phones off. Everything shut down. I wanted to see how we’d do.
The results? Humbling.
Within six hours, my teenage daughter was losing her mind without social media. The emergency candles I had stockpiled gave off barely enough light to see. My wife and I argued over where I’d hidden the crank radio. And I learned that the freeze-dried meals I’d stored six years ago? Yeah… they don’t taste any better with age.
By the end of the second day, we were cold, cranky, confused—and clueless about how poorly we’d performed.
And that was just a weekend.
The Real Threat: People (Yes, Even You)
You can prep for the world ending, but what about the world changing slowly? What about an economic collapse that creeps in over months, so gradually that you barely notice your dollar doesn’t stretch like it used to? What about political unrest that simmers beneath the surface until one day your peaceful suburb is crawling with protesters, checkpoints, and armed patrols?
The real threat isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it’s silent. Like rot behind drywall—you don’t notice it until it’s too late. Society doesn’t always collapse with a bang. Sometimes it slips into dysfunction with a whimper, and you wake up one day realizing your version of normal is long gone.
And sometimes—it’s you.
Your assumptions. Your ego. Your belief that because you read The Lost Frontier Handbook, The Lost Ways II, countless other great survival books, bought the right gear, stockpiled canned meat, and watched enough YouTube survival videos, you’re somehow immune to chaos. That mindset—that is what blinds you to danger.
That’s what keeps me up at night. Not the EMPs or the looters or the famine. But the creeping possibility that I’ll miss the warning signs, fall into autopilot, and fail to adapt fast enough because I thought I already had it all figured out.
The Skills We Forget
Everyone talks about bug-out bags, ammo, and freeze-dried food. But let me ask you:
- Can you negotiate under stress, when tensions are high and someone’s pointing a gun while asking for half your supplies?
- Can you lead people without turning into a tyrant—or worse, a people-pleasing pushover who gets steamrolled in a crisis?
- Can you think creatively when your plan falls apart, your backup plan fails, and you’re out of options?
- Can you stay calm when your kids are crying, the dog is barking, the generator’s sputtering, and your neighbor’s house is on fire?
- Can you go without sleep for two days and still make smart choices?
- Can you de-escalate a confrontation without violence, but still be ready if it turns south?
These aren’t skills you pick up from a shopping list. These are forged through practice, pressure, and pain.
If you can’t do these things—if you haven’t even tried—then I hate to break it to you: you’re not ready. I wasn’t either. But I’m working on it every day now, because when it counts, gear doesn’t lead. People do.
The Nightmare Scenario
Imagine this: You’ve got the gear, the food, the plan. You’ve rehearsed the scenarios in your head a thousand times. But then the event hits—and it’s nothing like you pictured. The air smells wrong. The noise is deafening. Chaos is everywhere. And in that moment, instead of springing into action, you freeze. Or worse, you panic. Your hands shake so badly you can’t load your weapon. You forget the combination to your gun safe. You miscalculate your water supply and waste your clean reserve on the first day. You lash out at the people you’re supposed to protect because the pressure feels unbearable.
You become the weak link in your own chain—the one who everyone depended on, and the one who buckled.
That’s the nightmare.
It’s not the lack of supplies. It’s not even the enemy at the gate. It’s you, under pressure, failing to rise to the occasion. It’s realizing that all your preparation meant nothing if you can’t perform when it matters most. And once that moment passes, there’s no rewind button. You only get one shot.
That’s the moment that separates the ones who survive from the ones who just thought they were ready.
What I’m Doing Differently Now
These days, I still prep. But my mindset has shifted.
I spend more time on mental resilience than on stockpiling. I read about leadership, decision-making, conflict resolution. I train in ways that simulate pressure. Cold showers. Fasting. Long hikes with heavy packs and no GPS.
I drag my family into role-play scenarios they hate but secretly learn from. We argue. We fail. We adapt.
And slowly, I’m becoming the kind of man who won’t crack when the world does.
I also joined the True Grit Academy, which I have to recommend. It was created by retired US Navy SEAL and BUD/S instructor Joel Lambert. Basically, this academy teaches you what US Navy SEALS learn to adapt to unexpected situations, thrive in the face of danger, and more.
The course is divided into 4 weeks, 7 courses each, 1 course a day. Now the great thing is that you only need 10 minutes per day and have the discipline to do the work for 28 days. I am currently on Day 15 – Take Control Of Your Time and I have to tell you this exactly what I feel like I am doing.
And I need to be honest with you…I do not like wasting money or spending too much on things I do not carefully investigate. I was already aware of Joel Lambert because I bought his Bug-In Guide, from which I learned so many great things, like how to looter-proof my home and what essential medical pills and supplies I need to always have. So I knew he was legit.
The final nail in the coffin, so to speak, was that the True Grit Academy is now available at an early-bird launch discount. For only $39 you gain access to the entire plan, all the videos, and 2 extra digital books packed with survival and prepping information. So take advantage of the deal before it is gone.
Click here to claim the 77% off early-bird launch discount, and get everything for just $39!
Final Thoughts
A prepper’s worst nightmare isn’t the end of the world. It’s the realization that you weren’t who you thought you were when it happened.
So prep your supplies—but also prep yourself.
Because no matter how many pounds of rice you’ve stored, it’s your mindset, your grit, and your ability to lead under fire that’ll see you through.
Stay alert. Stay humble.
And above all, stay dangerous.
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Well written article and completely accurate. I’m 73 and have been prepping to varying degrees since the early 1970’s (still have about 40 or so copies of the “early” Mother Earth News…long before they went woke), and these activities / gear purchases were determined by available funds and the environment I was living in (physical and social) at any given time. I learned decades ago that mid-set is the primary gear….the starting point. There are still many areas that I could improve on, but the reality is I’m getting to be a “short-timer” so now must concentrate on the immediately doable. I have near zero concerns re: food, water, firearms/ammo, and most medical supplies. My biggest concerns are the influx of people into my area who have no understanding of how quickly things can go south.
Howdy from high in the desert swamp,
I fell victim to my own lack of just sit, shut up and think. Last summer we had a hurricane no one saw coming or was warned. It was a small one, but it caused a lot of damage because the minor wind took out 10 counties of electricity right off. I was prepared in most ways except one. My attitude. I got mad because our State shelled out billions to the energy companies to beef up and harden blah blah and they did not. Instead of just sitting, taking stock and cooling my jets, I grabbed the dog and went to my cousin’s house 150 miles away. Just about the time I got there I realized what I had done. I left virtually everything and just angrily drove away. That was beyond dumb. That was against all laws of hiking, boating, training.. I was furious at me. Early the next morning I came back and all was well but still no power. I sat. Me and the dog sat. I verbally abused myself and then set to work on what I need to do now and what I will do next hurricane. Having the stuff and methodology down and practicing is great. I hadn’t been practicing my mental. I do now every day. I run through my head a list of things to accomplish and go from there. I got lazy. I got content with seeing my tools, supplies and such. Every bit of it was left behind because I didn’t sit and think it through. Dumb as a box of rocks. I am not a rookie at disasters or assaults. I just haven’t been in one for a couple decades so, I got lazy. Not soft, except between the ears, lazy. I’m glad the dog can’t actually talk except through stink eye. She didn’t want to go.
I shoulda listened to the dog.
Go ahead and let me have it. I deserve it. Live and learn. I’m still alive to learn and pass on my wins and mistakes. Practice your mental state. BAM! Sit. Breathe. Think. Only react if it is dire. Sit.
I wouldn’t be giving this advice except for being dumb so hopefully someone will get some advice from a long time be ready advocate and,…. a dummy.
In all this, have your soul prepared. You may be your own worst enemy…
As one of your “scenarios” you mentioned “negotiating” for HALF your food stocks with someone who is trying to take it. If you are in that scenario it’s not going to be half. They will want ALL of it and at this point you will be negotiating for your LIFE not your food. If they are close enough to negotiate they will simply kill you and TAKE anything they want. Don’t fool yourself. People are going to get desperate, mean and murderous when the excrement hits the oscillator. You HAVE to be prepared for the worst and be prepared to take a life to save your own or a family member. Can you? WILL YOU? I know I can because of the job I had most of my adult life but not everyone can or will. It’s like trying to convince a die hard anti gunner they need a gun simply because of the neighborhood they live in and they tell you ” OH I could never shoot someone even if they were trying to rape or kill me”. That person will likely never survive a true disaster where there is ZERO help coming such as an EMP or CME and we are thrown back to the 1700’s. You have to have the right mindset for that. Family and true friends will be the only ones you be able to count on. NOT that “nice neighbor” next door. Here in Swannanoa NC we got hit with Helene back in Sept 2024 and people from everywhere came to help. 107 people died and some lost everything they owned. Help came out of the woodwork including people trying to gouge us. But that’s not what will happen if an EMP or CME or a Red Dawn scenario happens. It will literally be every man for himself. Yes there will be pockets here and there of people helping each other. But you should read the “One Second After” book series by William Fortschen. IMHO that is the more likely scenario. MILLIONS/MOST of civilization will die within months and the ones who survive will be in little towns who somehow manage to band together and make it work IN SPITE OF what is left of government. And even that scenario is iffy at best. Depend on nobody but yourself and those you trust with your life. And even that may not work to save you.