Prepare? Prepare to Die!, page 2

reply to post by Prote

Prote, I have to hand it to you, you've kept rather clear and polite through this whole thing, which is more than I can say for myself, actually. Re-reading some of my previous posts in this thread, I think I let preconceptions get the better of me, and I apologize for any rude wording in my posts.

Here's the thing: You are entirely correct about outlandish preparations about statistically highly unlikely events, such as nuclear war, zombie infestation, alien attack, asteroid strike, etc... but those that do actually make those preparations are the reason the species can and does flourish through major disasters (that and sheer cussedness).

However, it's not the Big Things that are likely to kill you or your family, or even endanger them. It's the "Little Things". One gentleman earlier in the thread mentioned the Ice Storm that shut down his whole town for two weeks. That's the sort of thing that is almost a statistical certainty in some areas, likely in others, and possible in many places. Its wind-blown equivolent doubles that area. The rise of terrorism for hire makes it possible for any area's infrastructure to technically be at risk.

So, that said, you asked what "Universal Preparations" can be made that cover the bases for almost all Situation X's, at least to a small degree. Here's a good start:

FOOD: Non-perishable, high-protein, high-moisture canned foods, such as chunky beef stew, beans, etc, and some other variety, enough to feed everyone in your house comfortably for at least 3 days. Two weeks is even better.

WATER: Enough for each person to get at least 2 litres per day to drink, plus any extra for cleaning people, dishes, and clothes. Bleach, iodine tablets, etc, are all a very good idea to keep around in case you have to make potable water out of any non-potable water.

FIRST-AID KIT: At bare minimum, should be able to handle fevers, cuts, breaks, sprains, and allergies. If you want one better, get a field-surgery kit. In both cases, get a manual, and read it BEFORE you need it.

LOW-TECH TOOLS: Hammers, hand-saws, nails, can-opener, etc. Also a good idea to have some brick, lumber, sheetrock, plywood, and other building materials in the event you need to do a quick patch-fix (like a tree falling through the roof of your house during a time when infrastructure is shut down, or repair crews are unavailable).

CASH/GOLD: For people without much money, always try and keep at least $100 cash. If you can't spare $100, then as much as you can. A very good idea is to keep it pinned/sewn/etc, inside the lining of your coat, purse, backpack, etc. Worst case scenario, you've got $100 for a hotel room and some meals. As you become more financially stable, keeping about 1% of your net worth in gold ingots or bars is a good idea, but no more than that.

PROPANE TANKS AND ACCESSORIES: A propane grill or camping stove is a good way to be able to prepare meals with no electricity or gas for your house. (Don't use propane accessories inside the house). You can also use it for lamps and welding/cutting torches, or in a pinch, it has other uses, like clearing a road blocked by a fallen tree or house.

EMERGENCY HAND-CRANK RADIO/FLASHLIGHT - Preferably one that also gets the local NOAA channels. Mine comes with a siren, flash signal, flashlight, AM/FM/NOAA/Network TV Audio Band/UHF TV Audio Band, has a hand-crank dynamo to charge the batteries, and an attachment to charge cell phones with. It's the Eton FR-300, in case you wanted to find one.

FLASHLIGHTS/WALKIE TALKIES/BATTERIES - Flashlights for obvious reasons. The Walkie-Talkies are a good idea in case the cell and landline networks are down and someone has to seperate with the main group, or you want to keep in contact with a nearby family.

GOOD BACKPACKS AND BEDROLLS - Preferably one with a padded hip-belt and frame, to better distribute weight. In the event you have to leave home and vehicles all behind and take only what you can carry with you as you walk, these make life about a thousand times more pleasant than trying to lug around a suitcase, or even that little Jansport backpack you had in high school.

FIRE SAFE OR SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX - I cannot stress this one enough. Get a fire safe and put it in a wall, in the middle, not at a corner, at ground-level. Put your most important documents (SSN Cards, photocopies of your licenses, birth certs, titles, deeds, insurance policies, will, cash/gold, etc) in there. If you can't afford a fire safe, get a safety deposit box, and leave them there. Of all Situation X's, fire is the most likely. It's bad enough dealing with fire damage and losing everything you have. It compounds the issue a million-fold when you have to do all that paperwork without the ability to prove who you are, what coverage you had, or what you actually own.

There's other things aside from all that. Most of these things are among things most of us already have laying around our house, somewhere. It's not like we're all digging trenches and stockpiling shotguns and swords for zombie attacks. Most of us, like myself, are just Joe Ave's who've lived through a situation where we REALLY could have used one or more of those things during an emergency, and now we've learned to get them BEFORE we need them.

That's what being a Survivalist is really about. The Michael Gross characters from Tremors are movie characters. I'm sure some people like that exist, but for the most part, real Survivalists are just grown up Boy Scouts who learned (perhaps the hard way) to Be Prepared. Having all or most of the above will allow you to be prepared for almost any LIKELY Situation X, and even a number of unlikely ones.

(EDIT: Clarified propane use, added firesafe.)

PS: Many are going to reply that I left out "a good weapon/firearm". That's a matter of personal choice. I recommend one, to be sure, but the odds of actually needing one are less than needing any one of the above listed things.

[edit on 2/8/2008 by thelibra]

The Ant and the Grasshopper