(Natural News) Many Americans rarely if ever consider the issues of fundamental survival. By "survival", I do not mean having a successful career, a low rate mortgage, a savings account, pension fund, nest-egg, etc. These are illusory means of survival in an economy not based in reality, but held together by deceptive government policies and a general lack of awareness in the population. The system we live in today is flawed in every sense, in terms of debt to savings, government spending versus government revenue, monetary policy, stock market value versus concrete company earnings, reported unemployment versus real unemployment, and numerous other factors. In my years observing and writing on our financial system, I have not found a single sector of the economy that is NOT in disarray or on the verge of complete collapse (except precious metals and certain other commodities). None of the methods for self-sustainment we are accustomed to today are even remotely practical under such conditions. Any American hoping to protect his family's well being, or their freedoms, must realize and accept one simple fact:

The world we live in today is not necessarily the world we will live in tomorrow. Assumptions can kill…

(Article republished from Survivaldan101.com)

There is nothing paranoid about survival preparation. Actually, those people who really believe that they are completely safe from any national catastrophe, or that they can rely on the Federal Government for total support during a crisis, are either terrifyingly stupid, or bewilderingly insane. In light of FEMA's performance during the Katrina incident, an ill-conceived trust in our bureaucracy to protect us is utterly outdated and foolish. In fact, FEMA's actions only made the situation in New Orleans worse, and caused substantial loss of life. NEVER, ever, put your fate in the hands of strangers, especially strangers from government organizations that have little to no vested interest in your well-being.

The following information is meant for those who are already well on their way towards survival preparedness, covering more advanced strategies and gear.

For the sake of being thorough, let's briefly rehash the Big Four…

Shelter: The issue of shelter is highly dependent on which strategy you plan to use during a crisis; 'homestead' or 'retreat'. If you feel that your best bet is to remain at home and fortify your position there, then you are what I would call a "homestead survivalist". If you feel that the place you live now will not be safe or is not defendable during a collapse, then you will probably make plans to fall back to a "retreat" location. Each strategy has advantages and disadvantages.

Homesteaders have the advantage of setting up their survival situation where they are everyday, plus they probably know the surrounding terrain like the back of their hand. During a collapse, Homesteaders don't have to worry about the dangers of traveling to a safe location since they already live in a protected area, and they don't have to worry about how to transport all their supplies. However, some homesteaders do not make a backup plan, and tend to put all their eggs into one basket. Homesteaders should not assume that they will be able to stay where they are permanently, and should always have a retreat setup as well.