Let's say, just as an example, the area you live is hit by a major environmental catastrophe--hurricane, earthquake, volcano, widespread power outage, or something along those lines.
What is your top priorities to ensure you and your family are safe, secure, and can get through a period of time without help from any outside source? What are the most important items or supplies you need to get through?
I've spent a great deal of time pondering this question. There are lists you can download from government sites that give you a run down of things you'll need for a three day window of time, and while these lists are a decent place to start, you should take them with a grain of salt. Use one of these lists for reference only and develop your own list according to your area, nearby resources, and any special needs you may require.
Any information the government provides, including the recommendation that three days worth of supplies are adequate, is coming from the same group of people who couldn't get help to New Orleans for over fourteen days. My thoughts are that you should have a minimum of twenty day supply--and I'll explain the reasons why I consider that to be a bare minimum list in a followup post.
When the government tells you that three days should provide you with enough until the system can be restored to normal capacity---sure. Triple that number at the very least, and it's a good general policy to make your own decisions, based on common sense and reality, as to the amount of time you feel would be needed in case of a major disaster. Count only on yourself, think for yourself, and do whatever you feel is in your own best interest.
To me, there are really three categories that would constitute the number one priority I would need:
1a. Defense and Security
1b. Water
1c. Food
I've made list after list, and it always comes back to these three basics. If you can establish these three, you have a fighting chance even if you have nothing else. You need to think of anything beyond these, with possibly the exception of medications, as purely luxury items. There is plenty more to my list, but these are the most crucial, inseparable, elements you need in order to survive.
It seems so simple, yet it's not. We, as a society, take so many things for granted. People become attached to so many useless items, and they will risk their own lives for material goods or things of sentimental value. How many times have you heard of people running back into a house fire for a box of pictures, or for a family pet? It's not as easy as you think to cast away those types of things we've become so accustom to having. It comes down to this, what is going to help you get through the next ten minutes? You need to think of this in the most basic, most life-sustaining way.
You don't need your record collection. You don't need a locket you inherited from your great aunt. Your child's special blanket is not more important then a gallon of water. Your coin collection is going to be worthless, so leave it behind. It takes a huge shift in thinking to begin seeing life at the most rudimentary level--and that is where you need to be.
This is why preparation is so key. People loss their minds in times of trouble, and they can't comprehend the possibility that life as they have know it is simply gone. The psychological effects of stress, multiplied on a scale of this magnitude, can shred a persons mind and render them not only incapable of maintaining their own well being, but creating a danger to anyone they may contact. Your mind, every bodies mind, is going to try and cling to the idea that everything is going to be alright, that everything is going to quickly return to normal, and that is a very dangerous state of mind.
Preparation is the key. Preparation is the key. Preparation is the key.
The more prepared you are to face these possibilities and challenges, the more your mind will be able to accept a catastrophic event, and allow you to maintain full control of your faculties. Stress, fatigue, disbelief--they are all inevitable, but you need to be able to move beyond that frame of mind quickly and begin to take the strong actions necessary for creating the best chance of surviving.
Preparation is the key--that is your new mantra. Preparation is the key.
Your homework for today is just to toss ideas around in your mind. Ask yourself some hard questions.
----"What do I really need to survive for a month?"
----"What are the most important items I need to have ready?"
----"What special needs do I have, beyond the basics for survival, that I will need to survive for an extended period when supplies and resources are not readily available?"
----"What are my priorities? How can I pare down the list to include only what's essential?"
----"Are there luxury items on my list of priorities that I don't really need?"
Ask yourself these questions as you think in terms of a collapse in the system for thirty days. No help is out there, and nobody is coming to rescue you--you're on your own. I'll put up my list as we get further along, and you will be welcome to take it and use it, or modify it to fit your particular conditions and needs. For now, start to imagine yourself in this type of situation--mull over the tools and objects that could help you, and consider items that may only waste your time, energy, and ability to move quickly should you need to evacuate.
Preparation is Key---live these words.
Your ability to prioritize your needs, for your basic existence, may be the most crucial task toward assuring you live to see another sunrise. For me, there are just three things that are absolute, non-negotiable, that should be the first steps in building your kit or bug-out bag; defense/security, water, food. Everything else needs to be deemed a luxury in comparison.
In the next post I'll breakdown these top three items, and go in-depth about the importance of each, the basic requirements, and considerations that need to be addressed as you start gathering your supplies. Until then, take care.
Preparation is the Key!
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