I don't mean to sound harsh but . . .
To those who plan on "heading out to the woods/mountains/wilderness," keep in mind you will be in competition with hundreds, maybe thousands of others who have the same idea and you will find yourself competing over the same limited resources. That's assuming the "woods" setting you plan on heading toward is government land. If it's privately owned, I dare say the owner will have something to say about you moving onto his or her property, (and they'll probably say it with some kind of loaded weapon). The days of Davy Crocket are long gone and the world is an over crowded place.
Even if you do happen to find some happy little valley that is known to no other man, are you prepared to carry in all you will need to survive? Are you physically fit enough to swing an axe for a long period of time to build some kind of shelter that will shelter you from winters cold snowy weather, or are you going to be like "Bearman" in the remake of "True Grit" and when asked for shelter proclaim, "I have my bear skin." How about firewood to provide light, warmth and heat to cook food?
Even in third world countries, where people are accustomed to living on very little and well versed in doing without, (something we in America are woefully unaccustomed to), when the SHTF, they die, plain and simple.
In my opinion, the absolutely best thing you can do in the event of a SHTF event is simply stay home, no matter where that "home" may be.
You have shelter. You know the area. Look around now and catalog resources. Where will you find water in the event your tap runs dry. Food, can you grow your own?
The key to survival is not the "lone wolf" method. The key to survival is community, (as it has been since time began). Start building relationships now. The stronger the bond in a current community means a tightknit working colony if and when the SHTF. Be the leader, organize, take charge, show the way. People will rally to you as you will be the one with vision and courage. Be prepared to make hard decisions and tough choices.
As for stockpiling gold and silver, quite frankly, I don't care how much gold or silver you have stockpiled. If there is a total breakdown in society, any kind of currency will be worthless. Why should I sell you my food when I can't eat your gold? Given a choice, I will feed my family rather than cling to the corpse of the old world system of monetary exchange. Yes, there will come a time when things stabilize and gold and silver will once again have their value, but I have to live through the SHTF event to get to that point.
Learn skills now. Make a hobby of it. If you axe handle breaks, (or shovel handle, hoe handle, etc), do you have the skills to make another one by hand with materials you have at hand?
Do you know how to dress a wound? Are you familiar with how to treat illnesses? Buy a book now, because the internet in such an event will not be available, (which means no asking on Bitog).
Can you process and can food? Can you turn corn into "corn likker"? Do you know how to prepare the meat you just killed? Can you fish? Do you know what plants growing in the wild are edible and which ones will either kill you or make you sick? If you plan on growing your own food, do you know what to plant when, where and how? Do you know when it's ripe and do you know what to use to keep it free of pests and diseases? Do you know what kind of fertilizer to use and when to use it and how much to use? Do you have the seeds you need NOW, (Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart will be closed). Can you make your own soap, your own clothes, your own shoes?
Read, read, read, read. Do it now.
The more skills you possess for the betterment of the community, the more valuable YOU are, (see the difference between personal value and monetary value - someone can kill you and take your gold, but they can't take your skills and knowledge so you become worth more alive than dead).
Be the one with the vision which will lead your community back to stability and safety and not only you will survive, but others will survive because of you.
