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“No man can cut out new paths in company. He does that alone.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

“The creator lives for himself. He needs no other men. His primary goal is within himself”

- Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

All things considered, after studying preparedness and watching the rise and fall of many survivalist groups and so-called “militia units” over the past twenty years, I advocate a Lone Wolf survivalist philosophy. This means that your core group consists of you, your significant other (if you have one), and perhaps your parents and siblings if they think along the same lines as you and you are so inclined to include them. The majority of the rest of the population you deal with as a trader¹ in that the context of the relationship is businesses-oriented, the mutual beneficial trade of products and services. Friends fall into a category somewhere between the two, depending on how close the friend is, but it still comes down to you and your family if you have one.

In many ways, the Lone Wolf philosophy is superior to that of being in a group, as it is better suited for the gradual decline that has been the current trend for decades. You basically choose your own path, and can rise to your own level without interference from group think. Lone wolves are free from the stagnation and loss of focus that all too often occurs with survival groups after a couple years when the much-heralded total collapse fails to occur within the group majority's arbitrary and hazy time line.

• Get yourself a shortwave receiver and a police scanner suitable for your location. These are going to be your best sources of news and information if when the grid goes down.
• Get some secure (read: encrypted) communications equipment so you can stay in touch with fellow travelers if when the grid goes down. The bad guys will be monitoring the airwaves (SIGINT), so why make it any easier on them?
• Useful items such as night vision gear, gas masks, and body armor are readily available now. Get them while you can. You're going to need this stuff.
• Thirty caliber is the way to go with your primary rifle, even if you just get a $125 Mosin-Nagant. You will need to have better range and penetration than what .223/5.56mm and pistol calibers offer.