Crisis, breakdown, evacuation: what to do in the first 72 hours?

Every evening, the same images. A conflict spreading, cities gutted, families fleeing with a single bag on their backs, citizens urgently evacuated. We watch, we're moved, and somewhere deep down we think: "It's far away." It is far away, until it isn't anymore. Europe knows this: massive power outages have paralyzed entire regions, attacks have struck in the heart of cities, evacuation orders have been issued in the middle of the night. In a matter of hours, daily life can be turned upside down. Not in ten years: now. At WildTactic, we don't take a position on what's happening in the world; that's not our role. Our role is to prepare you to remain clear-headed when others panic, to make quick and sound decisions, to protect what matters in the first hours of a crisis, whatever it may be and wherever it arises.

The first few minutes: observe before acting

The first reaction of an unprepared person is to panic. The first reaction of a prepared person is to observe. Apply the STOP method:

• Stop (physically stop)
• Think (what exactly is happening?)
• Observe (what is the real threat and where?)
• Plan (what is your next concrete action?)

This sixty-second debriefing can mean the difference between a sound decision and an irreversible mistake. To break the panic, use heart coherence: inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, pause for four seconds. Repeat three times. The adrenaline subsides, and judgment returns.

To stay or to leave: the fundamental question

Every urban crisis forces you to make a decision. Both choices are legitimate; what is not is deciding without clear criteria. Stay if the threat is not in your immediate vicinity, if your building is safe, and if the water supply is still working. Leave if an official evacuation order is issued, if your building is compromised, or if a direct threat is within 500 meters.

If you stay, act within the first hour: immediately fill your bathtub, pots, and all containers; a water cut-off can occur without warning. You must be self-sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours, as officially recommended by the Belgian, French, Dutch, German, and Luxembourg governments.

For two people: about twelve liters of water ( forget the recommended six liters; your body needs at least one liter per day in calm conditions; imagine what it needs under stress), non-perishable food (canned goods, freeze-dried meals, energy bars, survival rations), a rechargeable hand-crank radio, a headlamp with spare batteries, a complete first-aid kit, and your documents in a waterproof pouch. WildTactic offers compact, ready-to-use kits designed around this principle.

The evacuation bag: prepare it before you need it

If you leave, you might only have ten minutes. The "bug-out bag" must be ready, placed in the same spot, and checked twice a year. Its contents: water and purification system, 72 hours' worth of food, first-aid kit, copies of documents, cash (ATMs often break down during a crisis), power bank, survival blanket, multi-tool, headlamp, etc. Target weight: three to eight kilograms maximum.

Practical tip : once a year, put on your bag and walk for twenty minutes. You'll discover what's rubbing, what's too heavy, what's missing, before it really matters. Also, designate a family meeting point in advance: a specific address, outside your neighborhood, known to everyone. If communications are down, everyone will know where to go.

Managing stress: the most underestimated skill

Logistics can be learned in a few hours. Mental preparation, however, is a long-term process. In a crisis, stress pushes you to seek someone else to make decisions for you, to jump to conclusions, and to neglect simple steps. Three principles:

1. a pre-established plan, even if imperfect.
2. each action broken down into a single next step,
3. calm and directive communication.

Practical rule: never think more than three steps ahead. Beyond that, your brain becomes overloaded. Also, designate an out-of-area contact (an uncle, an aunt, a family friend), more than 200 kilometers away, as a central point of contact for the whole family if local networks are overloaded, and who can relay information if family members can't reach each other directly. Local networks become overloaded quickly. A text message gets through where a call fails.

Urban bushcraft: transferring field skills

What you learn in the forest, you can use in the city. Food self-sufficiency, water management, environmental awareness, emotional regulation under pressure: it all transfers. A bushcrafter doesn't see a crisis the way an unprepared civilian does, because they've already faced discomfort, uncertainty, and the need to find solutions with what they have at hand. This is the philosophy that WildTactic champions: transforming fears into capabilities, grounding people through their practical skills. Our kits aren't meant to fuel anxiety; they're meant to give you the concrete tools to act.

Preparation is freedom

Being prepared doesn't mean living in fear. It means not depending on others in the critical first hours, protecting those who matter to you and those who rely on you, and remaining clear-headed when everyone else is losing their minds. Crises don't give warning. Preparation, however, can begin today. Choosing this path is a freedom that opens up many others.