Preparation 101 - some Basics

It never fails to surprise me how few people there are that bother to take the time to be even slightly prepared for the exigencies of life, much less the emergencies. I guess I just forget that most people think differently than I, or most urban dwellers feel so safe and secure in their environment that they feel no urgent need to prepare. Maybe they trust that their government will always be there for them to "provide" and safeguard us, no matter what. Like at work, out of some 20 employees, no one will have a screwdriver, or a knife, or a lighter... or even a flashlight, except me. It astonishes me that in all that c**p that people are carrying around in backpacks, messenger bags, purses, etc. that they wouldn't have included some actually useful items among them even by chance. Even more so during travel, even though the airlines and TSA pretty much disarm every citizen of many useful tools (but let countless others through) when one is possibly at the most vulnerable and in need of basic survival items (because they are living out of just their luggage), I find most of my fellow travelers don't find it necessary to have the most rudimentary preparedness items (food, water, shelter, first aid, a means to make fire).

I bring up the example of Jan Demczur. He was a Polish immigrant who worked as a window washer at the North Tower of the World Trade Center. On September 11th, 2001, Mr. Demczur along with 5 other men were in an express elevator at about the 50th floor when the plane struck the building and the elevator lost power. He and the other men pried open the elevator door and found that they faced a sheetrock wall. Lacking any other useful tools among the six of them, they used Mr. Demczur's brass squeegee handle from his window washing gear to scratch and cut a hole through the drywall and escaped the elevator. All six men managed to flee the North Tower just minutes before it collapsed. That life-saving squeegee handle is now in the Smithsonian.

This true anecdote illustrates several points and lessons to be learned. However unlikely it may be that it can happen, you never know when it will be your time to have the fight of your life, fighting for your life. Survival is mostly about using your brains and thinking your way out of a situation. A good positive mental attitude can make all the difference. To survive one must proactively improvise, adapt, and overcome obstacles. And it clearly shows what the best survival tool is, the one that you have with you.

The first thing to do, well before a "disaster" or emergency occurs is to do a realistic threat assessment. Identify the real dangers in your area, both natural and man-made. Hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, floods, earthquake, volcano, wildfires, lightning strikes, predators, extreme cold/heat, crime, civil unrest, maybe even the police/govt itself or your neighbours (depending on where you live). While I admonish people to be "realistic", I also believe it could not hurt to be just slightly "paranoid".... LOL. Those unconscious fears may be telling you something that your logical, politically correct mind may not allow yourself to think about in the bright light of day. Like do you have faith in your fellow man that they'll do the right thing when it comes down to life and death? Maybe you are completely safe and the local, State or Federal authorities (or your deity) will completely take care of you.

I realize that everyone's situation is different. City is different from country. You may live in a very nice part of town or a secure gated community, or a barrio with bars on the windows and the sound of gunfire and police sirens are not unfamiliar to you. Also your situation may change from day to night. Like if you spend your day working in a high security zone (large stadiums, malls, airports, high tech companies, government buildings, even schools nowadays) then you may be personally more restricted. Or if your job requires a certain standard of attire or uniform it may not be practically possible to be as prepared as you may want to be everyday. But generally, I suggest a multi-layered and highly adaptable "modular" system of preparedness.

Now I like to divide up my preparedness equipment into 4 main categories, which I will explain in detail later.

The first level is the personal level, also called EDC ("every day carry"). This is what is immediately on your person, in your pockets, on your belt pouches, or in something that you are wearing. At this level, I recommend at the minimum three key things. A knife (mankind's most fundamental tool for effecting one's environment and surviving), a means to create fire readily (again, the thing that distinguishes mankind from animals and the most fundamental survival ability), and, least important, but useful, a ready and reliable illumination source (though not crucial, it is SO useful and comforting that it may as well be included). Note: these may be the only things on you as you evacuate or flee a dangerous situation. Just the thought of the knife idea worries some people. I'm not talking about some big, scary Rambo knife or dagger, just a plain old folding knife that will fit in your pocket. A Victorinox Swiss Army "Tinker" would be great, or better yet a locking blade knife, like a CRKT M-16 10 EZ. There are many thousands of different knives out there with various features. In a separate article I shall write about knives and the 12 key features that I recommend. I should emphasize here that I am only thinking of a knife as a helpful tool only (not as a weapon, which takes training).

A means to make fire could be a simple 99 cent mini-Bic from your local 7-11 store or just a free book of matches. Simple Lucifer matches (strike-anywhere) in a matchcase will do. There is a whole industry out there for "survival lighters". I like the butane torch type lighter because of their reliability, even in high wind. I love my classic Zippo also, but alas, it is old tech and not reliable enough to bet my life on IMO. Note also, that there are several dozen ways to make fire without a match (see my article on "To Build a Fire").

Flashlights are also another burgeoning industry nowadays. Current thinking is mainly for very compact, all metal body, LED lamp flashlights. You can spend up to $200 on one with all the bells and whistles. From experience, all that I think is necessary is that 1) it's waterproof 2) uses LEDs and 3) uses common batteries. Heck, a cheap "freebie" light from some gas station promotion will work, but if I'm really counting on it, I'll pay for a little reliability and reassurance.

Now, the majority of us carry many other items in our EDC. Watches, cell phones, sunglasses, pen, keys, wallet, etc, and all of this is fine and useful. You may be able to creatively include that knife, lighter, and flashlight unobrusively into the EDC stuff that you already carry, like by attaching it to your keys, slipping them in your wallet, or clipping them to the side of your cell phone case.

The next level is having a BOB ("Bail Out Bag" or "Bug Out Bag") or Go Bag. Now again, most of us carry some type of auxillary load carrying equipment with us, like a rucksack, purse, bag, briefcase, belt pouch, even a jacket or vest with pockets and without even knowing it, you've probably adapted already to be your "Go Bag". Most people carry useful things in it, like an extra layer of clothes (jacket), a bottle of water, some energy bars, maybe some toiletry items (like a toothbrush/toothpaste), maybe some basic 1st Aid items (BandAids, Aspirin), and, of course, personal electronics (phones, music player, camera, gps, mobile web browser, etc). This is all great, and with a few additional suggestions, you have yourself a decent "emergency" BOB that you could conceivably live out of for 2-3 days. I've mentioned "modules" several times in my blog. I believe in keeping ones BOB organized into logical modules which can be easily added or removed, mixed and matched, depending on the current mission needs. If I have a reason to expect rain or cold weather, I attach my "cold/rain" module. If I am heading out on the road to less populated areas, I bring along my spade and "overnight" module. If I know I will be staying in a highrise hotel, I clip on my "escape" module. If I know I am going out to the wilderness or have some inkling that I could get stranded somewhere, I include my "survival/rescue" module. Again, I plan to write about BOBs and my particular set up in a separate article sometime.

It may seem somewhat redundant, but most of us in this society have our own car or POV (privately owned vehicle) usually somewhere within several hundred feet of us. In this vehicle, I recommend the storage of another larger kit, a "vehicle kit". It could just be a medium sized gym bag or duffle bag with a case of water, some "lifeboat rations" (Mainstay) or other snacks bought by the case at Costco, and larger tools, bulkier clothes, heavier implements that you normally would not lug around everyday, like a water purifier, mini-generator, stove, lantern, tent, shovel, etc. The fact that we use motor vehicles as a daily mode of transportation, that a car is fairly secure when locked up, and a car greatly increases our load carrying capacity means that we should not dismiss it offhand as the useful emergency resource and remote base that it is. I take comfort in knowing that if I can get back to my vehicle I have almost everything that I can possibly need to last out a long emergency. Food, water, shelter, medical supplies, tools of all types, extra clothing, extra fuel, communications devices and other electronics. I like that with my vehicle, I can move myself and my supplies away from danger (where practical). I also like that I chose a type of vehicle readily suited to less than ideal road conditions and as a back-up, I can also carry my mountain bike or tow another transportation mode with me.

And finally, for most of us, our primary base, our main source of comfort, and the center of our planning tends to be around the home. The home, or what you choose as your primary residence and domicile can be an excellent place to "hold out" if you are not in a previously identified danger area (floods, earthquake collapse, fire danger, high crime area). I would choose the strongest part of the home or apartment in which to store my supplies and designate one area, probably an area with access to water (usually) and one entrance, as my "safe room". If you consider the design of a house from a civil engineer's perspective, any area that is full of small rooms, corridors, intersections, and stairwells is the structurally the safest, strongest part of the house. Open areas, large rooms, exterior walls, and areas with lots of glass tend to be the weakest. A small hall closet facing the interior of the house is an ideal "redoubt" position. Heaviest materials go on the bottom, so I would start with cases of bottled water, stacked. Now, I know that large storage barrels and larger water containers are readily available (and I have some of those too), but I have learned that wasteful as it may seem environmentally, lots and lots of small containers are favourable to just 1 big container (which may leak, or get contaminated). Next I would stack bulk foods that are dry and long lasting. I personally prefer rice, and sacks of rice in vacuum sealed containers are readily available. With rice and the water and fuel to cook it, I can literally last out years at present. It really depends on what you like, and know how to cook, but going to a Costco or Smart and Final can give you some good ideas. I stock gallons of vegetable oil, bags of flour (or better yet Bisquik or pancake mix which you just add water to), plain oatmeal, white granular sugar, dry potato flakes, powdered cocoa mix, powdered lemonade, powdered Gatorade, and powdered milk. To this, I add approximately 6 cases of canned goods, various types that I regularly consume. Each of these food products are dated with a marker with the date I stocked them, like "0608" (June of 2008) so as I rotate them out, I know which ones to use first. 6 cases = half a year, get it?

Many people focus in on the food, but they forget that priority-wise, water is much more important. You can last literally months without food, but you'd die in 3 days without water. Storing water is important, but so is securing a tertiary source. The primary source would be your tap as long as city water runs. The secondary would be your stored supplies of water. The third source... well... a local swimming pool, fountain, pond or creek, rain water from a gutter, and even.... yes, toilet TANK water or water from your bathtub (which I recommend filling at the outset of a major disaster, just in case). Water of course can be boiled. This is both time and resource consuming (using fuel). Keeping a bottle of plain bleach on hand is an excellent way to purify large quantities of water. Instructions are on the bottle, but about a cap full will purify a gallon of water with a mininum of taste effect. Surplus stores sell the old military Iodine water purification tablets also, just be warned that the water tastes awful. Better yet, investing in a water filter or water purifier is an excellent investment. A good, portable filtration system costs about $30 at REI.com. Though I'm sure they work most of the time, I actually don't trust the "new" UV-light wand purifiers. There is no feedback really that the thing has worked, just trust. Definitely think about collecting and "reusing" waste water. Use cooking water again, or use it for personal hygiene or washing. Then re-use that water for watering plants or other things. Take sponge baths out of buckets, rather than wasteful showers/baths. If water becomes very scarce and you're in hot climates, consider "condensors" and "solar stills", esp if you are stationary.

What else do you need? Fuel and power. Most people become helpless when the grid goes off, relegated to lighting candles and listening to battery powered radios. This is an ok solution, but not at all ideal. Despite centuries of history with them, candles (open flames) are inherently dangerous, particularly after an earthquake when gas mains may be compromised. Battery powered flashlights and lanterns are safer. This means keeping extra batteries onhand before an emergency happens. I buy batteries whenever I see them on sale, usually by the 16 or 20 pack. Really, you can never have too many batteries. Put them in battery racks or battery cases, store them in bulk, and use them on a rotating basis like your other expendables, like food. I have a multi-fuel camp stove that can run on anything. I also have a butane cartridge stove that I can cook and boil water over. And outside, I have both a mini-barbecue grill and a propane gas range. The barbecue grill is the equivalent to a firepit. Long after my charcoal Kingsford's are gone, I can burn firewood or anything combustible in it. For my gas range, I bought an extra fuel tank for it, so I usually have two propane tanks on hand at any given time (enough to last a couple of months). As you will find out, I don't like to depend on re-chargeable batteries, but I do have several solar panels, which are designed to charge up my re-chargeable batteries. So I can continue to collect unlimited energy from the sun to keep my small electronics going.

First Aid Kit. Yes, definitely if you know how to use it. I daresay, that most "home" first aid kits are next to useless from the perspective of an ex-medic. They are made to make kids feel better for little boo boos. Cuts, scrapes, and little abrasions are just annoying but not life threatening. I am alarmed to see that some home kits are now including QuikClot in them for use by the untrained. I would focus on buying a more realistic medical kit meant for real trauma and medical emergencies, and to get some real training. A kit should include, universal precautions and ABCs (gloves, barrier mask, airways), bulk dressings and splints, chemical cold packs, medical tape, scissors/shears, anti-septics (Betadyne, alcohol, Sodium Benzoate in individual wipes), occlusive dressing, elastic bandages, perhaps some IVs (NS, D5W, LR) if you know how to use them, suture kits, butterflies, or steri-strips, basic OTC meds in the following categories: analgesics, anti-emetics, anti-diarheals, anti-inflammatories, anti-histamines, and anti-pyretics. And if you can get them: lidocaine, epinephrine, morphine sulphate, penicillin, Narcan, and nitro-glycerin. And then, if you know how to use them, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, thermometer (digital), AED, and O2 equipment.

Communications is a general category of preparedness that covers many things. It means your phone and your cell phone and who you plan to call. If you are part of a family or network, it is imperative that you designate both an out-of-area check-in point and a rendezvous point. Like, for example in the event of a major catastrophe in your local area, you might designate an out of state conact as a point where all family members should call and check-in should local numbers not work (this is exactly what happens in an earthquake). Despite what I hear from authorities about keeping "landlines" I have always found the opposite is true, my cell phone always worked for me whereas my landline phone sometimes went down or became too busy with intense traffic to use. Secondarily, it is important to have a way to hear what the authorities are advising, i.e. a radio or television. Besides the automobile radio, I recommend a small investment in one of those hand-crank/solar emergency radios which are readily available now (about $25). It will allow you to know about major events, when to evacuate, imminent precautions, where help can be obtained, etc. It seems almost superfluous at other times, but when a disaster happens, amateur radio, CBs, FRSs and GMRSs suddenly seem like a wise investment and a beacon of civilization when everything else fails. Sometimes having an alternate form of communications is just reassuring, like a Sat phone or one of the new emergency distress beacons (like a Spot). Finally, I will just mention that having a whistle, signal mirrors, or flares as signalling devices is helpful especially if you are in a very remote area.

Some basic hand tools (not powered) can become very handy. Nails, hammer, saw, pliers, pry bar, shovel... that sort of thing. Tools are the way we can adapt and improve our shelters and environment. A gas shut off wrench can be handy, but one neighbour with one can shut off the whole block if he/she shares.

Other than that, it's mostly about being comfortable and safe as you wait out the crisis. Extra blankets or bedding, for example. I would always keep a good pair of shoes handy, and hope that I am wearing practical clothes. Outerwear for the cold could serve as an extra blanket too. And don't forget cookware, plates and cups for every member of your shelter. I can write a whole separate article about setting up field latrines or interior chem toilets in shelters. Just don't forget TP. In a family emergency kit, it would not be inappropriate to pack along recreational items to pass long boring hours (or to keep kids diverted from the danger). I always have a deck of waterproof playing cards, and a mini-chess set. If you have a pet, you should consider all the food and pet supplies they may need too. Not only do I understand attachment to pets and would never just abandon them, but certain pets, especially dogs (and horses) can be infinitely useful in times of disaster. Weapons and self-defense are another matter, depending on the expected law level in your area. It's a personal choice based on your perceived threat level. Realistically, society does not tend to break down during a crisis, but rather, tends to band together to help each other, but there are exceptions. Twice now in my lifetime, I have seen the civil authorities "lose control" and tell us civilians that we are on our own (for 2-3 days). There quite as easily could have been a third instance also, but it didn't happen. The scary implication is that somebody could have chosen to run rampant (looting, murdering, raping, whatever), you could have called 911, and the authorities could not help you. They were overwhelmed.