We've all seen the apocalyptic movies so we know the chaos that will reign in the first weeks.  Without electricity to pump water, the sewer sytem will fail and in some neighborhoods, water will stop flowing to your kitchen sink within a day.  Without electricity to pump gas, FEMA trucks will not be able to bring more water and people will start to die of thirst within a week. Even if your cell phone still worked, calling 911 is useless - no ambulance will come to the rescue without fuel and firetrucks will stop. Unrestrained fires willl sweep the cities, starvation and disease will take millions. 

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First, the return of the Wild West

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Out in the country people will go back to riding horses, drinking from rivers and growing their own food.  Let's get one thing straight, after the EMP whoever has ammunition will dominate. Violent, savage outlaws will form gangs and roam the land in year 1 & 2, killing and taking what they want. It will be the Wild West again. Smart people will team up for self-defense and they might even hire a sheriff.

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Then, A New Medieval Era...

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Eventually, maybe in year 2 after complete grid failure, ammunition will start to run out. Sure, there will be gigantic caches of ammo that some people are saving up right now, but in many locations bullets will become scarce. At some point people who still have ammunition will be saving it carefully for hunting wild game to fill their stomachs. Some people will know how to make gunpowder and reload bullets. They will buy the equipment now and learn how to do that ahead of time.

 

Most people will not be able to make bullets so they will make knives, swords & spears out of metal. They will craft armor for self-defense. Then they'll figure out how to make and use crossbows & bolts, longbows & arrows, maybe even catapults.  These people will enter the New Medieval Era. 

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...and back to village life

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Folks will trade what they've got for what they need. Medieval-type villages will form and people will start little shops. Some will know how to make medicine from plants, others will make essential items to trade - soap, toothpaste, shampoo. They'll raise sheep and goats for the wool, which will be spun into yarn and knitted into sweaters to be traded. Someone will make simple shoes like moccasins and sandals. Someone else will have beehives and sell honey. They'll make candles from the wax. A new currency will arise, probably based on gold and silver coins.

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Sure, there will still be guns in some areas, but it does clarify things to think of it as a return to medieval life. Right now we have a chance to learn these Medieval skills. Weapon making, combat skills, spinning wool, knitting, leather working, bee keeping, natural medicine and even brewing. Pick your medieval skill and learn it now, because that's what you will be doing when the grid goes down for years. Click through the Phase 2 research gallery below to get started.