Going Solo

Being a ‘Lone Wolf’ is a common prepping strategy among beginners. Every seasoned prepper knows at least one person who plans to use this method to survive. A ‘Lone Wolf’ is a solitary person who plans to thrive in the apocalypse alone and lives off of the resources they have collected by themselves. There is no set number of how many people plan to use this strategy, but it is a very popular trend in the Doomsday Community. Here are some pros and cons if you decide to be a ‘Lone Wolf’.

Pro: Teamwork Is A Nightmare

Anyone who had to do a group project in high school knows how difficult it can be to work with a group. Leaders often become big-headed and go on power trips from time to time that in the end get nothing done. In the apocalypse, these can lead to many people getting injured or killed. Petty drama among teammates will cause inter-group feuding, which could be the center of your group’s downfall. Some members will become flat-out lazy thinking this is one big party and will refuse to do anything to help. This will lead to more work for you and the other members trying to survive. This struggle will lead to many other members becoming burnt-out and resentful towards those not pulling their weight. You can avoid all this drama by just going solo.

Con: Everything Is On You

Going solo can be very struggling and difficult. It’ll be your job to find water, collect food, and set up camp, all while watching out for invaders trying to take what little you have. Everything, even digging a latrine, is on your shoulders to do. In the apocalypse, the world will be in a never-ending blackout, so you’ll have to depend on sunlight to guide your travels, most likely on foot. By going solo, you’ll cover less land because you’ll need to stop earlier to set up camp while the sun is still out. If you are injured, you’ll need to administer first aid to yourself, and you’ll still need to create, or find, shelter before the sunsets while dealing with it. This is not going to be pleasant if it is a broken bone or missing limb. Like the old saying goes; “jack of all trades masters none”.

Pro: Seeing Things No Other Survivor Will Experience

Being a ‘Lone Wolf’ requires you to travel all the time searching for supplies. This can lead to many grand adventures that you could never experience before. You could finally see the landmarks you’ve always wanted to see without drowning in a crowd. You could hike through every national park, experiencing its true beauty without annoying tourists littering everywhere. Visit the museums you’ve always wanted to see, without paying those high entrance fees at the door. If tech-savvy, and bold enough, go to the amusement parks and ride the rides without waiting in long lines. Visit historical homes and sleep in the bed of your heroes. The world is now your oyster. You can live out any dream you wish and own anything your heart desires.

Con: It’s All Fun and Games Until Loneliness Arrives

Humans are social creatures. Without human interaction, you’ll slowly lose your mind in the vast emptiness of the world and become Tom Hanks from Castaway. Once you feel empty inside, depression will set in, and this could lead to suicide. Being in a group gives your life meaning, and will become the driving force behind your need to stay alive in the apocalypse. A group can provide multiple outlets of entertainment. One night, a member could play guitar, while another one sang songs. Board games and card games are better with more players, unlike being alone where players are required for certain games. At least going solo means you’ll have very limited downtime anyways from all the extra work you have to do. So, you won’t have time to despair about your loneliness too much.

Pro: You Handle Your Own Safety

Most of the time groups avoid the ‘Lone Wolf’ because chances are they have very little supplies on them. The larger the group, the more mouths they have to feed, so your three cans of beans are useless to a group of 20, or so, people. The ‘Lone Wolf’ relies primarily on an early alarm detection system, so by the time you reach their location, they would be gone. By being your own head of security, you can make sure that the weapons are properly cared for, and that the alarms are actually set. Doing this yourself ensures the job actually gets done right. If you are in a group, chances are you have to trust the person who is assigned to do it, actually does it. Over time, you’ll set up your own stronghold that could rival any setup a group can do with multiple people.

Con: Sleep With One Eye Open

Some violent groups may see you as an easy target, so you’ll need multiple layers of security alarms so you know when a threat is sneaking up on you. You’ll also need to keep your weapons primed and ready at all times by being the only person to sharpen the blades and repair any firearms. This always means you’ll get very little sleep because every bump or bang is an intruder. You’ll be limited to the supplies to what you can carry on your back. This means you can only have one to two days’ worth of food and water on you. Most of what you have are items you’ve scavenged during your many trips outside, or stolen from larger groups who are now hunting you down. When caught, nobody will be there to rescue you, and you're likely to die at their hands.