Well... I dont know what comes next.
Along the lines of what you and Fronty mentioned, how prepared can you be? I had posted a thread about how do you prioritize what to carry, consumables vs. necessities. You cant be a pack mule, at some point the benefit of what you carry will be outweighed by the burden.
This I believe is the best arguement for a "Bug In Location". Stay put as long as possible in a well supplied and defendable location. Even so, provision will only last so long before you have to strike out to resupply. Even the best laid plans will fail eventually. There is nothing glamorous, nothing to be romanticized, about a collapse of what we know.
Our lives are so dependant on synthetics, such as medications. By synthetics, I simply mean everything that makes our lives comfortable and "normal", similar in what is written in the UCJ by Mud.
Everything will change dramatically and in short order, within a couple months time. Knowing how to survive in one specific surrounding, and a knowledge of survival in general that can be applied in any enviroment will be a tremendous benifit to not simply ones own life, but the lives of those we are responsible for too. The greatest measure of character I believe, is by what selflessness we provide for others, what lengths we go to. Preparedness now is part of that.
Some will never be prepared enough. We simply dont have the means presently to do so. It will be easier in the short term in the immediate after effects, for those of us not near cities. We'll still have to scavenge, sooner than later, and may still end up moving like nomads.
I think another huge issue many will face, that may not often be talked about in preparedness but I feel is still part of the same, is how we may have to make decisions that are counter to our moral fabric, our integrity and foundations of our beliefs. It will be difficult to trust anyone encountered. How do you know in split seconds to trust someone, who is sincere and who is the coyote that distracts while the rest of the pack encircles. There is safety in numbers, but numbers can also be burdensome. Therefore I feel that every able body should know certain skill sets... leaving that at that for now.
The ill prepared will be desperate. The sleeping and dormant pathologically insane, the criminally insane, scociopaths, phsychotics, murderers and rapists will now have the chains and fetters of scociety that once held them at bay, lifted and will be unrestricted. It will be a carnival ride. They may have no other plan than to get from one day to the next. The worst of scociety has to be considered in anyones plans. This will make shepherding and guarding our loved ones especially challenging, particularly for those of us with young children unable to defend themselves. Again, I'm leaving that, at that...
I know I'm rambling. I know this isnt "light" conversation, but it is a random thread and its on my mind sometimes as we look ahead and consider the worst case scenarios could be possible in our lifetime.