Simply put:

"Chance Favors the Prepared Mind"

It isn't the gadgets that make us survivors, it is the mindset and our ability to think and prepare mentally for such an event.

We are given in this world everything we need to get by. We don't need high levels of technology and industry to manufacture anything we have to have. The one thing we can do for ourselves to get through darned near any situation is gather applied knowledge. That's it. The rest is gravy.