Is it ever too late to prepare for a crisis? – 5 warning signs to watch out for

I have compiled the 5 most common warning signs that indicate when a crisis is on the way! Wouldn't it be better if you can see a crisis coming?

from Martin Gebhardt | Prepping | reading time 3 Min
Updated on 30 May 2023 13.011 views 100% found this guide helpful
Is it ever too late to prepare for a crisis? – 5 warning signs to watch out for

Martin Gebhardt

From Martin Gebhardt. Check out my “About me” page.


👉 The key facts from this guide

  • Warning sign #1: You no longer have easy access to your money. Examples include long lines at the bank, limited withdrawal amounts, or new government regulations that restrict transactions.
  • Warning sign #2: It is harder or impossible to travel easily. This can be caused by government regulations, high gas prices, or checkpoints.
  • Warning sign #3: Ordinary purchases are harder to make. This can be signaled by scarce food, increased prices, or purchase restrictions.
  • Warning sign #4: Financial markets are going crazy. Examples include a sharp decline in the stock market or the collapse of the bond market.
  • Warning sign #5: Unrest breaks out. This can be signaled by looting, increasing crime, or racial and class violence.

It is advantageous to have a plan for emergencies, and you never know when they will occur.

Every day, so many events happen without, or with little, advance warning. It is difficult to predict when a crisis is imminent.

Wouldn't it be better if you could see IT coming? Wouldn't you rather be prepared and have the tools to handle anything the world throws at you?

I have put together the 5 most common warning signs that show when a crisis is on the way!

The unthinkable has already happened during the COVID-19 pandemic

Do you remember the time two years ago when entire countries began to shut down due to COVID-19?

You couldn't travel to other countries, not even to another state. There were even curfews!

It was unthinkable, and yet it happened within a few days.

lernen aus der corona pandemie

Then toilet paper and noodles ran out, and most people started hiding in their homes.

When I think about the last two years, I have come to the conclusion that there can indeed be a time when it is too late to prepare.

The important difference between survival and prepping

I know that some of you could survive based on your skills and your location. Others have been preparing for so long that they could easily lie down for months.

Survival is what happens after an event, and there are all sorts of creative ways to survive and make it through each day.

Prepping is different. Prepping (preparing) means taking measures in advance and being proactive so that you're ready when a crisis situation occurs.

durch prepping wird eine krise abgemildert

Your preparations are now paying off to mitigate the effects of this event.

Here are the warning signs that I consider important to signal that it's too late to prepare.

Five warning signs that it's too late to prepare

Here are the signs that it's time to hide with everything you have, wherever you are.

Contact close friends and relatives and prepare for what's coming.

Warning sign #1: You no longer have easy access to your money

  • Long lines at the bank, people standing early in the day to make transactions
  • Banks limit withdrawal amounts
  • Limited bank hours
  • The ATM runs out of cash
  • New government regulations that restrict cash withdrawals or other types of transactions
geldautomat out of order

Warning sign #2: It's harder or impossible to travel easily

  • The government regulates the sale of fuel and determines the maximum distance driven
  • The prices of gasoline become so expensive that traveling is no longer worth it.
  • Checkpoints are established between states, federal states, or even districts to ensure regulations are enforced
  • When freedom of movement becomes almost impossible, survival also becomes impossible.
  • A journey to your bug-out-location is no longer possible due to the measures
reiseverbot

Warning Sign #3: Ordinary shopping becomes harder

  • Food becomes scarce, increased number of empty shelves
  • More competition for goods and services
  • Prices skyrocket until even the basics are no longer affordable
  • Restrictions on purchases set by retailers or government agencies
  • A black market develops
  • Due to shortages and regulations, you can't even stock up on the basics anymore
leeres frischeregal fleisch

Warning Sign #4: The financial markets go crazy

  • Days of uncertainty that spiral out of control and cause panic among people
  • For example, a stock market drop of 30% or more of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) in less than 10 days
  • beginning of "bail-ins" (depositors' funds are used to pay off insolvent banks)
  • collapse of the bond market
finanzmarkt crash

Warning sign No. 5: Unrest breaks out

  • Plundering/Unrest spreads to nearby cities
  • Crime and lawlessness increase and reach a "turning point"
  • Racist violence
  • Class violence
unruhen

As you can see, these 5 warning signs signal the end of easy or quick preparation.

I don't have a crystal ball to predict if any of these warning signs will occur or when they might happen.

But all 5 signs are effortless to imagine. Since Corona and the Ukraine war, you are no longer in the realm of crazy conspiracy theories.

We have all seen too many of these theories turn out to be 100% true.

Ultimately, it all comes down to your attention. Awareness of such events is ESSENTIAL.

It is also essential to trust your gut feeling in all of this. If you or someone in your family or group "doesn't feel good" about what's coming, that should also be a valid triggering event.

Read also

These 10 types of people will have a hard time during SHTF - do you belong to them? - There are 10 types of people who will have a hard time after or during a crisis. Do you know such people, or do you maybe belong to them?

Is it ever too late to prepare for a crisis?

It is never too late to prepare for a crisis. Even if you have been in denial or have tried to avoid the subject altogether, it is time to prepare for the inevitable.

You do not need a lot of time or money to do so. Simply start with a few small preparations and you can get started.

There are many things you can do to prepare yourself and your family for an emergency. One of the most basic steps you can take is to ensure that your home has enough water supplies (calculate here) and food supplies (calculate here) in case of an emergency.

But preparing for a crisis is not just about stocking up on food and water. It is also about having the mental and physical ability to cope with the stress that comes with a disaster.

Read also: 7 Steps to Prepare for Emergencies and Crises

Summary

I have shown you my own five warning signs of when it is too late to prepare. Compare them with your thoughts and then write to me in the comments.

I hope my thoughts give you inspiration and help you refine your preparation plans so that we never have to deal with any of these types of events.

But I will never stop preparing for all eventualities!

Take care, Martin
Martin Gebhardt

Author of the guide


Martin Gebhardt

Hey, I'm Martin. On my blog, you will learn the basics and numerous details about living in the wild. I think survival, bushcraft and the good life in nature are the keys to happiness. Find me here on Instagram or on YouTube. You can find more about my mission on the About Me page.

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