I also have an air conditioner, but I don’t consider that one of the fundamentals for survival, it’s just a nice thing to have.
When the country was panicking about COVID and lockdowns, I was just chilling at home, peacefully watching it all unfold on the news. It was not something I would need to worry about for a long time. I don’t want to say I was preparing for disaster with my remote country cabin, but I always knew that it would be good to have a safe retreat. Out here I am entirely alone and self-sufficient. I am not worried about COVID because I can go for years without seeing another person, if I choose. My heating, my water supply, my food, and my power are all entirely self contained on my property. I also have an air conditioner, but I don’t consider that one of the fundamentals for survival, it’s just a nice thing to have. If the furnace breaks, it needs to be fixed as soon as possible, but if the AC ever breaks, then it will probably just stay broken. I will never have to worry about power, though, because of my geothermal heat pump which takes care of all of my electrical needs. I actually have enough juice saved up to keep the heating and lights on for another two or three years! Basically there is a very expensive piece of equipment you can buy which goes in the earth, and converts the geothermal energy of the planet itself into electricity to power your HVAC system and appliances. It is called a geothermal heat pump, and if you can afford one then you will have energy independence for the rest of your time.