Top 7 Things People Must Have to Survive in Any Situation

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You didn’t see it coming. One minute, you’re grabbing coffee and heading to the store. The next, your phone lights up with alerts—texts, warnings, calls.

That disaster you’ve been quietly worrying about? It’s no longer a possibility. It’s happening. Right now. And people are counting on you to respond, not freeze.

Your heart races. Mind floods. “What do I do?” That question isn’t hypothetical anymore.

What happens next depends on what you’ve already done.

Prepared people don’t wait until they’re in the middle of chaos to figure it out. They think through the hard stuff ahead of time. They gain clarity when others lose it. They build skills, gather what matters, and develop the mindset to make decisions when it counts most.

And when life goes sideways, they don’t panic. They act with calm, capable purpose.

This article breaks down the seven things you actually need to survive—not just the gear, but the mindset, skills, and strategies that keep you effective when it matters most.

If you’ve ever asked, “What do I really need to get through the worst?”—this is your answer.

(Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to purchase a product through a link on this page.)

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TL;DR: Preparedness is an ongoing process of risk management. If you’re not maintaining it, you’re losing it—and your capability is quietly expiring.

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1. Why Mindset Is the First Survival Essential

When most people think about survival, they picture gear, bags, tools, and stockpiles of supplies. But the strongest asset in any emergency isn’t in your pack. It’s in your head.

Preparedness begins with how you think.

Mindset is what lets you see clearly, stay calm, and make decisions when the pressure’s on. It’s the foundation on which every other survival skill is built.

Mindset: Your Most Reliable Survival Tool

You can lose your gear. You can run out of supplies. But your mindset? That goes where you go. It’s always on hand—if you’ve taken the time to train it.

A good survival mindset means:

• Staying calm in chaos
• Being realistic without freezing
• Trusting your ability to act under pressure
• Not letting fear write the story

I’ve seen it over and over—when all else fails, mindset wins the day. 

Situational Awareness Leads to Better Decisions

Situational awareness is your ability to recognize what’s happening around you and make sense of it fast.

It’s not just spotting a problem. It’s understanding how that problem affects you now and in the future. And it’s having a good idea of what you need to do about it.

That kind of clarity can be the difference between making a smart move to avoid a problem or getting blindsided by something you should’ve seen coming.

Perhaps it’s noticing a developing problem at work before others do. Maybe it’s easing off the gas because something about that intersection doesn’t feel right. These aren’t lucky guesses—they’re practiced instincts.

The good news? You can train this skill every day. No gear required—just attention and intention.

Start here:

• Watch what’s normal in your environment so you can spot what’s not
• Pay attention to shifts in people’s tone, energy, or behavior
• “What-if” your surroundings. If this goes bad, what would I do?
• When something feels off, pause. Trace that feeling back. When did it change? What prompted the change?

Situational awareness isn’t paranoia. It’s pattern recognition—and the habit of acting on it.

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2. How to Stay Safe and Avoid Becoming a Victim

Your first job in any crisis—or every Tuesday—is to not make things worse. That’s where safety and security come in.

They’re not the same thing. But you need both.

Safety = Avoiding the Problem in the First Place

A problem never encountered… is a problem you don’t have to solve. That’s the goal.

Safety is about time, space, and awareness. It means putting yourself in positions where problems are less likely to reach you.

• Instead of punching the gas when the light turns green, you pause a second, just in case someone’s running the red.
• You build margin into your movements, decisions, and routines
• You make your home less appealing to threats through low-profile upgrades and smart design
• You choose routes and places that reduce exposure—not because you’re scared, but because you’re thinking ahead

Security = Handling What You Couldn’t Avoid

Sometimes trouble shows up anyway. When it does, security is your ability to respond, recover, and protect what matters.

• The airbags in your car that save your life after someone else’s mistake
• The DIY safe room you’ve built that gives your family time to react
• The decision to call 9-1-1 instead of getting drawn into someone else’s mess

Being safe and secure doesn’t mean living in fear. It means taking ownership of your space and your response through critical thinking and personal accountability.

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3. What to Pack in an Emergency Kit (And Why It Matters)

Emergencies don’t come with warnings or conveniences—they strike unexpectedly. Your emergency kit is your first line of defense, packed with supplies to sustain you, keep you safe, and support your basic needs when the unexpected happens.

A disaster supplies kit should include essential items to sustain life and ensure safety during emergencies.

Here’s an entire resource page of emergency kit items.

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4. The Survival Skills You Need Before a Crisis Hits

When things get disrupted, the people who stay capable are the ones who know how to handle the basics, calmly and confidently.

These four skills help you stay in control, reduce stress, and make the situation more manageable, no matter what’s going on around you.

First Aid

Knowing how to treat injuries gives you control over the most common—and preventable—problems in an emergency.
That includes life-saving skills like CPR and Stop the Bleed, as well as managing cuts, sprains, burns, or infections before they escalate into more serious issues.

The more confident you are with medical basics, the more helpful you’ll be when someone needs help.

Fire-Starting

Fire keeps you warm, helps you cook, boil water, and improves morale.

You should know how and have the capability to start a fire reliably with more than one method—especially if you’re cold, tired, or your gear isn’t cooperating.

This isn’t about building wilderness campfires for fun. It’s about creating a dependable source of heat, light, and comfort when you need it.

Shelter

Staying out of the wind and weather helps you rest, think clearly, and remain functional.

Whether it’s a quick tarp setup, using your vehicle, or finding a solid place to regroup, knowing how to set up shelter improves both your physical and mental resilience.

And yes—being as comfortable as possible matters. That’s what allows you to recover, sleep, and make well-informed decisions.

Navigation

You should be able to get where you’re going without relying on your phone.
Know your area. Learn the roads. Understand how to read a map and orient yourself using simple landmarks or a compass.

Being able to move with purpose—without second-guessing—keeps you focused and avoids unnecessary problems.

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5. Fueling Your Body: Water, Rest, and Real Food

Your brain can be sharp. Your skills can be dialed. But if your body gives out, none of it matters.

In a crisis, your physical baseline—hydration, sleep, and food—makes the difference between being functional or falling apart. This is about capability when capability is precisely what is needed.

Drinking Water
You can’t operate without it. In the right circumstances, you can survive about three days without water, less if it’s hot or you’re active.

Store at least one gallon per person per day. More if you can, to meet hygiene and other needs.

Have a way to purify what you find—tablets, filters, or both. Clean water is something most take for granted. Don’t let that be you.

Sleep
Sleep deprivation breaks people fast.

Your decision-making, reaction time, and emotional control all tank when you’re running on fumes—hallucinations set in by 72 hours.

In the Rangers, we learned how quickly judgment goes out the window without rest.

Even in a disaster, build a plan for rest. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you need to think straight by getting enough sleep.

Food
You can go longer without food, but your performance drops fast. Mental clarity, stamina, and coordination fade when your stomach is running empty.

Keep shelf-stable, calorie-dense foods that work for your body and situation: canned goods, dry staples, protein bars, and any food you can eat without preparation if needed. Fueling your body matters. The more quality fuel you have, the longer you last.

Hydration. Rest. Nutrition. That’s the baseline. Everything else stacks on top of it.

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6. How to Stay Sharp, Healthy, and Ready Over Time

Preparedness isn’t something you do once and call it good. It’s an ongoing process. True preparedness is a constantly evolving risk management program. You’re managing your risk.

The moment you stop working at it, or the moment your ability to manage your risk objectivity gets hijacked by emotion, is the moment the expiration clock on your preparedness starts ticking.

If the last time you paid attention to your preparedness (or a key part of it) was when you bought a shopping cart of rice and now over two-year-past-expiration canned foods at Costco, odds are the rest of your preparedness capability is in the same state of affairs. 

Here’s what staying ready looks like:

Have a real plan. Know what you’ll do when things go sideways. Not a vague idea—a clear, thought-out, and if possible, written-out plan. Where to go. What to bring. Who are you responsible for?

Stay informed. In a crisis, solid information helps you make better decisions. Know where to get accurate, up-to-date intel before you need it.

Check your gear. Expired meds, dead batteries, missing items—those are preventable problems. Set a regular schedule to inspect and update your supplies.

Take care of the asset—you. You don’t have to be a triathlete, but you do need to be capable. Stay physically active, eat nutritious food, get enough sleep, and do your best to maintain your health in your current situation.

Staying ready isn’t about being paranoid. It’s about making the effort so that you’re not caught flat-footed when it matters most.

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7. Why You Won’t Survive Alone: The Role of Community

Survival isn’t a solo mission. And, while independence is important—isolation will break most people over the long haul.

We’re wired to connect, and in a crisis, the people around you matter just as much as your gear or skills. They’re your force multipliers who should bring support, perspective, and backup when you fall behind the curve.

Your immediate circle—loved ones and trusted neighbors—is your first layer of community. That’s where shared responsibility lives. That’s where someone notices when you’re not okay, and you return the favor for them.

Community brings:

• Additional resources and skills you may not have
• Emotional stability when things are tense or overwhelming
• A network of eyes, ears, and hands when you can’t do it all alone

Start with your inner circle. Get clear on who’s involved and how you’ll stay in touch if things get difficult.

A simple communications plan can go a long way—who contacts whom, what tools you’ll use, and where to meet if things fall apart.

The truth is, you may be strong on your own, but you’re stronger with a tribe that has your back.

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The Bottom Line on What People Must Have to Survive

Getting through challenging situations isn’t about luck. It’s about knowing what matters, being ready to act, and staying steady under pressure so you don’t need to count on luck.

When you build a strong mindset and pay attention to what’s happening around you, you make better decisions. Add in useful skills, practical gear, and a body that can handle stress, and you give yourself options—even when things don’t go as planned.

Preparedness isn’t about worry. It’s about staying capable and being ready to keep your loved ones safe when they need it most.

So the next time you ask, “What do I do?”—you’ll already have the answer.

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Additional Resources

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