New to the concept of SHTF? Wondering what the meaning of SHTF is? In the literal terms, the acronym itself means “Shit Hits The Fan”. A bit vulgar, yes, but I’m sure you can imagine the messiness of such an occurrence! Although the metaphorical meaning of SHTF can be extraordinarily different for many people, it ultimately refers to the consequences of any particular situation being quite shitty.

SHTF could mean a long-term crisis, maybe even within the collapse of society, that would put a person’s survival skills to the test. An emergent event in which a person might need to try to survive off of the land. Doomsday Preppers, for example, generally try to prepare for cataclysmic events that will end society and the way the world operates as we know them. This event could be natural, or man-made, either way they know that survival will be much more difficult than others might have prepared for or even thought possible.

The meaning of SHTF could suggest a more predictable event such as a hurricane, a blizzard, or a wildfire. It could even describe a personal emergency like being stranded somewhere, or losing your job. What about a house fire? Have you devised and practiced an evacuation plan? It’s imperative that each family member in the house knows what to do in the event of a house fire.

Types of SHTF situations could include major natural disasters, civil unrest, an EMP, a grid-down event- be it hackers or a natural disaster, an economic collapse, a food shortage, a water shortage, a pandemic, which in turn, somehow, leads to a toilet paper shortage, or an asteroid hitting Earth. We have already seen many of these events take place just in the last year. In countless ways, the pandemic has been an SHTF situation for many people across the world. Events have taken place that so many never imagined could have, let alone prepared for.

It’s been proven that when people fail to prepare, large sections of the population turn desperate. Simply look at how quickly thing turn south during common, yearly disasters. Fights break out in the grocery stores over the last product available amongst the sea of empty shelves, while others let no disaster go to waste whether it’s useless legislation or looting and attacking innocent bystanders.

Being able to survive most scenarios often depends on how well you can control your emotions, nevertheless, knowledge will be a critical factor in determining the ultimate outcome of your situation. As a responsible adult, we should take the important steps necessary toward protecting and preparing our family for, at the very least, the event of relatively common emergencies. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to being prepared for anything, but develop a plan for your meaning of SHTF, and under no circumstances rely on someone else to put food on your table.