Whether you are religious or not, one thing is certain – the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. economic crisis probably has you wondering what you should do in case things get worse.

If you’re thinking it might be time to plan for the worst case scenario, we have a few suggestions for you to get you started.

Putting Together a Plan

Putting together a plan puts you in the best position to survive the collapse of society. Your plan should take into consideration your strengths and weaknesses, who you’ll be surviving with, and where you’ll stay in any number of situations.

When making a list of strengths and weaknesses, do so with a mind toward what will be needed in a survival situation and be ready to be honest with yourself. No one can do everything, so acknowledge your shortcomings up front so that you can be prepared with the right tools to overcome those things.

For instance, if you’re an excellent hunter, but have a medical condition, your plan should include stocking up on your required medicines and tools for capturing and processing game. If, on the other hand, hunting is new to you, you’ll want to lay in more basic food stuffs. The same goes for the strengths and weaknesses of those that will be part of your group.

You’ll also need different supplies if you’ll be bunking in place or bugging out. Regardless which you choose, you should keep a bugout bag ready in case the situation turns unexpectedly where you’re staying.

Stash Some Supplies

Supplies will be key – and you’ll need more than toilet paper to get through a breakdown of social structures.

Food is, of course, on the top of everyone’s list. Make sure you have plenty of non-perishable and canned items stored. You’ll also want to make sure that those items are of high nutritional value. While snack cakes may last forever and give you a good caloric hit, they don’t provide the nutrients or protein that you’ll need for the long haul.

Medicine is another important consideration. Over the counter drugs are a good idea of course – painkillers, anti-inflammatories, anti-bacterial agents, and cold medicine are just a few things to stock up on. A well-equipped first aid kit should be on your list, with bandages and wraps.

Also consider any prescription meds you might need to keep on hand. You won’t have the luxury of calling your doctor for a refill during the apocalypse, so keep extra medicines around. You’ll probably have to pay full price for some of them since insurance companies limit how many days worth of a prescription you can get at a time. It’s worth it to ensure that you won’t need to go without critical, life saving medications.

Be Ready to Protect You and Yours

You’ll want to be ready to defend your space, whether temporary lodgings during a bugout or your bunk in location. You have a number of options, from the obvious to the less so.

Tools can double as a hand to hand weapon and are useful for survival tasks like building shelter. Keep hammers, hatchets, and heavy tools at hand when you don’t have other weapons immediately available.

Your first choice for protection, however,  is likely the same one that occurs to everyone – purchasing a firearm. Certainly owning a handgun or rifle gives you the greatest flexibility in protecting you and your family and friends. A long gun is a good idea for keeping looters from entering your property lines. A handgun is great for when you need to leave your base of operations or if you’re in the middle of bugging out.

When you’re moving around, it’s best to have a means to store your handgun on your person, so that you have it immediately available to you and so that no one else can easily take it from you. In some situations it might be better to keep your weapon where it can intimidate others. On the other hand, keeping your cards close to your chest can be an effective defense strategy, too. A concealed weapon with a low profile holster, like Clipdraw will keep your weapon always ready to transport – no need to search for where your holster is.

You should also keep your weapon safe. An accidental discharge could be life or death for a family member that is hit when there are no hospitals immediately available and first aid may not be enough. Using something like Clipdraw’s trigger guard can keep your weapon from going off when you don’t intend for it to.

However the months following the COVID-19 pandemic play out, being prepared for the worst will give you peace of mind. Take a few steps now to plan ahead, have the right supplies, and be ready to define your home and family.