A Texan Prepares

I occasionally get comments of the sort that I'm full of excetum bovis and don't believe half the stuff I say, or in this case write about.  One of the things I am very serious about is being prepared, following the wisdom of Louis Pasteur, who famously said, "Fortune favors the prepared mind (La fortune favorise l'esprit préparé).".  

I grew up with hurricanes and tornadoes, and I now live in one of the most earthquake prone, volcanic regions on the planet.  Furthermore, we are all living through a period in which the Bumbledicks are driving humanity to the point where things have already started to burn.  Living the prepped life, as I always have, means being fully self-sufficient under as many different circumstances as I can imagine for as long as I possibly can - meaning the rest of my natural days.

One reason I do this is to provide the most comfortable lifestyle for my family under the worst possible circumstances.

Another reason is that I have no intention of being one of those hapless people sitting in a filthy refugee camp being screamed at by goons with pathological lack of empathy and bad breath.

When one begins the process of prepping, the first order of business is to assume the worst possible scenario one thinks is most likely.  For example, a major earthquake and tsunami wipe out any semblance of civilized living, and it is necessary to get far away from the filth, rot and despair left behind.  Or perhaps millions of people are driven to desperation and begin revolting, followed by a strict military clamp down and one needs to bug out fast.  Both scenarios have occurred within the past 50 years right here - the Banda Aceh quake and tsunami of 2004, and the military coup of 1964, or the sequel in 1998.  I have no reason to believe they couldn't happen again.

So, once one imagines the worst-case scenario, one begins to ponder what things would be most important and then figure out a way to address the issues in the smallest, lightest way available.  I also look for solutions that have multiple uses, so that each item you carry has a range of survival applications.

Finally, I highly recommend reading the Foxfire Series of books.  This is a collection of lessons learned for self-sufficient living taken from folks living in the Appalachian mountains of the US (a.k.a. hillbillies).  Tools are useless if you don't know how to use them.

Priority #1: Water

The average person will die in 3-5 days without water, and dehydration is not a pleasant way to go.  There's also the issue of parasites and bacteria, which need to be addressed to prevent illness.  My pack contains a Berkey Sport filter and storage for up to 10 liters for drinking and hygiene.  I also have the necessary skills to make a water filter out of sand and charcoal, as well as knowing how to find subsurface water. 

Note also the the mylar space blankets and climbing rope (mentioned below) can be rigged to catch dew and rain water for collection in the 10-liter water bladder.

Priority #2: Food

The average person will die in 20-30 days without food.  In the tropics, finding food in the wild is not particularly difficult, but there is the matter of getting to it.  My pack contains some beef jerky and 1kg of mixed nuts, which provide a surprising variety of vitamins, minerals, fats, and carbs in a compact and flavorful form.  Chewing nuts also activates the salivary glands to keep mouth, sinuses and esophogus moist.  I also have an assortment of seeds for vegetables if I manage to find a place where I don't have to move for a few months.  Additionally, the seeds themselves can be eaten and are full of energy.  Having skills for preserving and canning food are very handy, as well.

In addition to trail snacks, I have energy bars and soup packets, along with a German military style cook set, with two pots and a bowl in one neat package.

Priority #3: Shelter

Being able to get out of the elements is not only physically desirable, it has a significant psychological effect.  My pack contains a machete, a hatchet, several knives, a 30m climbing rope, and mylar space blankets that can all be used to create and secure a make-shift shelter and even a house with enough time and scavenged materials.  I also have a 4-person tent with enough room for 3 people and gear, which can shelter up to 6 people if half sleep at night while the other half keep watch, and vice versa.

There are tools, as well.  A Leatherman's 17-in-1, a portable tool kit with a hammer, crescent wrench and pliers, and a gross of nylon and velcro cable ties.

Included under shelter are clothes.  I carry 5 t-shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, 3 pairs of underwear, socks and a towel - always a towel.  If you've read Douglas Adams, then you know how useful and necessary a towel can be.

Priority #4: First Aid

This is one thing that you can never fully anticipate nor preapare for.  Fortunately, my wife and I don't require any regular medications, so a well-designed First Aid kit, some aspirin, and a variety of salves, cleansers and bandages is sufficient for most foreseeable issues.  A little training in basic first aid helps, as well.  Knowing how to set bones, close punctures and stanch bleeding is far more valuable than a weighty pack of stuff.  Don't forget that a sewing kit not only repairs fabric, but can close a wound in a pinch, as well.   Here, the most useful tools are a sharp pair of scissors and tweezers.

Priority #5: Communications & Luxuries

These are items that are extremely useful and can make life a lot more comfortable, but not critical to survival.

My pack contains a solar panel with two USB ports for phones, power banks and a 21-channel shortwave radio.  The flashlight is also solar charged and has a third USB port.  I have a trekking stick with built-in compass and flashlight that also serves to hook fruit a high as 4m off the ground (my height plus the stick).  There's an air mattress and sleeping bag to make like just a little bit more tolerable, a magnifying glass for starting fires with a lens cleaning cloth, and a supply of Zip-Lok bags to keep things dry.  I also carry a 2T solid-state disc with scans of all our documents, which I won't bother to list, but think of all the documents you might need in an emergency, along with a little cash and barter items.  On the way out the door, I can also grab my original identity docs.

Altogether, the pack weighs about 20kg, or 50 pounds.  It's a monster, but I agonized over the purchase and ended up with a Kelty Coyote 85-liter.  It is extremely comforable and buckles up nice and tight to prevent load shifting and keep the weight close to my body.  I am 189cm/6'-2" and the pack still has a little extra slack in all directions.

Life, as George Carlin obserived, is having a place for your stuff and an ever decreasing supply line of smaller versions of your stuff.  My pack is designed for maximum survivability and functionaality, without sacrificing some key comforts.  In a pinch, though, there are things that can be shed to lighten the load.  Some are handy, other just fun, and any of those items can be pitched to get more agile.  

So, there you are.  Money where my mouth is.  I am personally prepared for what I think may be the worst-case scenario in the near to mid future, and it is adapted to the environment where I live.  The only remaining skill is knowing how to pack for maximum efficiency and functionality.

A note about electronic devices and carrying a solar charger.  Plenty of people say why bother with this if it's TEOTWAWKI.  My phone has two 128Gb SD cards, one in the phone and one stored in a safe,dry spot.  Both are loaded with books, music, art, and even a couple of indispensable movies. My book collection contains about 4,000 titles ranging from how-to references to the most arcane philosophical treatises (think of all the reading time you'll have with no TeeVee).  I am essentially carrying Western civilization on 2 grams of silicon.  Though your phone may not reach out and touch anyone, it can be a life-saving reference library and educational tool.

None of this is wasteful or silly.  Every last bit of it can be used for recreational hiking and camping.  Considering the Frankenvaxxx has probably killed off most commercial pilots, I anticipate doing a lot of that for the foreseeable future, since we won't likely get off the island any time soon.

No worries, though.  Indonesia has 5,000 deserted islands just waiting for me to assault them.