“Personally I think everyone who is seriously considering any bug out on foot scenario should be able to run 2 miles without stopping. Can you run at all? Can you run with your bug out bag?” – P Henry

News of the recent Ebola case in Texas has a lot of people on edge. You may have felt the urgency yourself as you read the news and monitor the progress being made, or not made in controlling this virus. Events like this are what preppers for years have been planning for and if you are new to prepping you may fear that you are behind the eight ball at a crucial time.

For what it’s worth, I don’t think anyone should be panicked about the events in West Africa or Texas, but I do think they are something to pay attention to. On the other hand, I don’t recommend doing nothing if you have serious holes in your preps. Events like the Ebola outbreak do two things. The first is that they motivate preppers again and they bring new people into our sphere of influence as more people try to learn all they can, search for prepping checklists, or research how to find the right bug out bag and so much more. The second thing that something like this latest Ebola news does is remind us that there are real threats out there in the world. Ebola is a virus that kills people. Viruses can spread to other people so it stands to reason more people can die or will die from Ebola. This isn’t science fiction or conspiracy, it’s just a fact that the people in Africa at least are living on a daily basis.

But regardless of whether you are just now getting into prepping or you have been prepping for years, there is more to survival than having a stocked pantry, bountiful garden, or a well with a hand water pump on your property. Simply having supplies isn’t the true yardstick you need to be comparing yourself to if you realistically want to know how prepared you are for this or any other crisis that may happen. Supplies can be taken away, they can be flung across the county or washed down the river. What matters most of all is your mental capacity to see you through difficulty. Your will to live and survive no matter what the odds will do more for you than any survival knife. Your determination and confidence that you will succeed will be more valuable than a box of MRE’s or freeze dried food. Continue reading →