If this mess of the past two years has taught me anything, it's that gathering accurate information matters. There is no way to accurately predict the exact scope of a disaster months in advance. There is no means to accurately predict how quickly variables will change post-disaster. This is why the prepper needs accurate information. As the world changes around him, he needs to be aware of how it is doing so.

Information is what allows the prepper to adapt to his environment.

Our first priority after disaster is to make sure our loved ones are alright. For sanity's sake, accurate information about the safety of loved ones is paramount. Even if we can't communicate with our family immediately post-SHTF, there is a large degree of peace of mind which comes from knowing the extent, precise location, and nature of the chaos that has just taken place.

However, this is where we face something of a catch-22. We need accurate information more after the SHTF than we ever have before, but the very nature of a SHTF event means communication infrastructure has likely been damaged, shut down, or overwhelmed.