Group or Solo Survival?
The Army Special Forces works in 12-man groups where they share specialties between the members in the areas of: weapons, engineering, medicine, communications, and operations and intelligence. They are able to help each other out as they are also trained to overlap each other’s skills to support the team in the event one or more men go down. They are also able to break apart into two six-man teams that operate separately as well as splitting down to two three-man teams to get more accomplished.
Six people is said to be the ideal number that allows for the factors necessary to survive or accomplish group tasks. These include quiet movement, self-sustainment off natural resources, and self-defense. What happens in the event you don’t have the training to accomplish great things with a group? Do you make the decision to mobilize on your own? When SHTF or TEOTWAWKI springs, will you be the loner or will you decide that the group is the best way to survive the apocalypse?
Solo Survival
When you are alone you can mobilize when and where you want to without any hesitation from a group. You also need fewer supplies but you will have to dedicate more time to getting the resources you need to find calories and fluids. Soloists also have the advantage of being stealthier than a group and creating less of an impact on their surroundings. There is much less of a chance for an individual to be tracked than a group because they leave a smaller footprint. The final advantage is there is no argument of authority or chain-of-command. In the military this is established early but with makeshift groups this could prevent the group from being efficient.
Group Survival
Solo survivors are said to have a 20 percent chance of survival compared to individuals in a group. That stat alone should prove useful in the decision-making process. Fact is a companion or two can help encourage us or motivate us when the going gets hard. The support system that can be established with a group will mean that there is more equipment available, divided work effort, companionship, greater security, and a good mix of skills that contribute to the overall group. In long-term survival the most important part of the group is protection and security. Together the group can work towards achieving this goal better than an individual could without someone to watch their back.
