Survivalist scenarios and outlooks

Survivalism is approached by its adherents in different ways, depending on their circumstances, their mindsets, and their particular concerns for the future.[23] The following are some examples, although many survivalists fit into more than one category or orientation:

Safety Preparedness Oriented - Learns principles and techniques needed for surviving life-threatening situations that can occur anytime or anywhere. Makes preparations for such common calamities as structure fires, dog attacks, physical confrontations, snake bites, lightning strikes, car breakdowns, Third World travel problems, bear encounters, flash floods, home invasions and even train wrecks.[24]

Wilderness Survival Emphasis - Stresses being able to stay alive for indefinite periods in life threatening wilderness scenarios. These can include: plane crashes, shipwrecks, being lost in the woods. Concerns are: thirst, hunger, climate, terrain, health, stress, fear.[25] Prepares with: knowledge, training and practice. Survival kit often includes: water purifiers, shelter, fire starters, clothing, food, medical supplies, navigation and signaling gear.

Self-Defense Driven - Individuals concerned with surviving brief encounters of violent activity. Focus is on personal protection and its legal ramifications, danger awareness, Boyd's cycle (also known as the OODA cycle - observe, orient, decide and act), martial arts, self defense tactics and tools (both lethal and less-than-lethal).

Natural Disaster, Brief - People that live in tornado, hurricane, flood, wildfire, earthquake or heavy snowfall areas and want to be prepared for the inevitable.[26] Investment in material for fortifying structures and tools for rebuilding and constructing temporary shelter, perhaps have a custom built shelter, food, water, medicine, and supplies, enough to get by until contact with the rest of the world resumes.[27]

Natural Disaster, Years Long - Concerned about long term weather cycles of 2-10 years, unusually cold or warm periods, that have happened on and off for thousands of years, and that cause crop failures.[28] Might stock several tons of food per family member and have a heavy duty greenhouse with canned non-hybrid seeds..[29]

Natural Disaster, Lifelong or Multi-Generational - Possible scenarios include: severe global warming and the possible ensuing ice age, the greenhouse-effect-gone-wild, environmental degradation[30], warming/cooling of gulf steam waters, large meteor strike[31], shift in earth's axis or reversal of geo-magnetic fields.

Bio-Chem Scenario - Concerned with the spread of fatal diseases and terrorist use of biological agents and nerve gases. Examples: Swine flu, E.Coli 0157, Solanum, Botulism, Dengue Fever, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, SARS, Rabies, Hantavirus, Anthrax, Plague, Cholera, HIV, Ebola, Marburg virus, Lhasa virus, Sarin, and VX.[32] Might own NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) full-face respirators, polyethylene coveralls, PVC boots, Nitrile gloves, plastic sheeting and duct tape.

Technological Mass Destruction Concerns - Concerned with unintended consequences of genetic manipulation, nano-technology, transgenic crops, psychological engineering, genome hybridized cloning, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, engineered organisms, self-replicating molecular robotic assemblers (“gray goo problem”).

Malthusian - Soaring increase in world's uncontrolled human population growth impacts available fresh water, food, health-care, environment, economics, consumerism, spread of diseases and just about every other facet of life. Projections indicate that world population of 6.6 billion may again double in fifty years. Some warn that this will result in a Malthusian population crash.[33]

Monetary Disaster Investors - Believe the Federal Reserve system is evil. Newsletters suggest hard assets of gold and silver bullion or coins and in some cases other precious-metal oriented investments such as mining shares. They are preparing for paper money to become worthless through hyperinflation. This is presently a very popular scenario.

Biblical Eschatologist - These individuals study End Times prophecy and believe the Saviour is going to return soon, and that the final battle with Satan on the Plains of Meggido might occur in their lifetime.[34] Most believe that the rapture will follow a period of Tribulation, though a smaller number believe that the rapture is imminent and will precede the Tribulation. ("Pre-Trib rapture".) There is a very wide range of beliefs and attitudes in this group. They run the gamut from pacifist to armed camp, and from no food stockpiles (leaving their sustenance up to God's providence) to decades of food storage. A small subset are Messianic Jews, and an even smaller fringe subset follow a charismatic leader's interpretations of the Bible. The Branch Davidians are one such sect.

Peak Oil Doomer - The Doomers are convinced that Peak Oil is a genuine threat[35], and take appropriate measures[36], usually involving relocation to a Survival retreat region that is agriculturally self-sufficient.[37]

Rawlesian - Adherents of James Wesley Rawles (the editor of SurvivalBlog and author of the survivalist novel Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse)[38] often prepare for multiple scenarios with fortified and well-equipped remote rural survival retreats.[39] Most are politically conservative. Nearly all place an emphasis on both being well-armed as well as being ready to dispense charity in the event of a disaster. Most take a "deep larder" approach and store multiple years of food. They also emphasize practical self-sufficiency and homesteading skills.[40]

Medical Crisis Oriented - Has very complete medical pack in house and in car.[41] Donates blood and is active in the Red Cross. Has taken CERT, paramedic EMT, and CPR courses, knows vital signs, stockpiles medicines, etc. Concerned with vehicle accidents and emergencies involving injuries. Focus is on helping family, friends and community survive medical emergencies.