I think in the back of most people's minds is at least a tiny bit of fear that there's a disaster comin'.
I aint talkin' Armagheddon, WW3 or Zombie holocaust but in recent years there's been some real ass kickin' Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis in places one would never expect.
For the most part humanity is pretty strong in the face of all the heavy crap life throws at us. There's still a sense of solidarity in times of desperation but when it comes down to the crunch, survival- and sad to say, self preservation is paramount. (If not for you, definitely for the next man).
No matter how terrible the situation is we still have that over-riding will to stay alive.
Regardless of that primal instinct there are so many people right now, going about their day with reckless abandon, totally complacent, thinking they have it great and nothing's gonna knock 'em off their perch. But just look at how quickly and ruthlessly Mother Nature strikes, and without warning or discrimination.
I just wish everyone would take a few hours away from their i-pads to prepare a simple kit (or two..or more) that can be stashed in the car, under the bed or on top of the kitchen cabinet. Something that will be crucial to their recovery from a heavy battering.
It only takes half an hour to find dozens of simple and extremely effective ways to light fire with products that everyone has in their home. Alcohol, Q-tips, teabags, tampons, 9v batteries, wire wool.
Simple ways of keeping stuff waterproof. (Ammo especially). Ziplock baggies, matches dipped in candle wax. All this stuff can be kept in a large watertight ziplock in a cookie tin sealed with ducktape until it's ready to go.
Stuff for purifying water. Coffee filters to get the sediment out, a cheap thermometer so you can be sure it's been over 160f for about 45 minutes to kill dangerous waterborne pathogens. (And that cookie tin for a boiling pot.)
Any able bodied creature can improvize a shelter, it's hardwired into all of us but the essential knowledge of how to keep that shelter warm has been lost over the last few generations. Not enough kids joining the scouts or taking heed of the motto:
BE PREPARED!
Of course you don't have to improvize. For a fair price you can just as easily purchase a fancy little survival kit from your local sport/Fishin'/Campin'/Army Surplus outlet but really, are you gonna bother? You aint doin' nothin' tomorrow. Why not make it a little project for you and your kid?
I don't wanna be a doom and gloom merchant roaming the streets with a sign that reads: "THE END IS NIGH"
But I do think this sound advice is shrugged off by just about everyone who's living in "the now".
I don't think about it every day but I do have a little peace of mind knowing I'll be prepared if I do manage to ride out the storm.
I wanna end this with a gun cliche we all know: It's better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it.
I aint talkin' Armagheddon, WW3 or Zombie holocaust but in recent years there's been some real ass kickin' Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis in places one would never expect.
For the most part humanity is pretty strong in the face of all the heavy crap life throws at us. There's still a sense of solidarity in times of desperation but when it comes down to the crunch, survival- and sad to say, self preservation is paramount. (If not for you, definitely for the next man).
No matter how terrible the situation is we still have that over-riding will to stay alive.
Regardless of that primal instinct there are so many people right now, going about their day with reckless abandon, totally complacent, thinking they have it great and nothing's gonna knock 'em off their perch. But just look at how quickly and ruthlessly Mother Nature strikes, and without warning or discrimination.
I just wish everyone would take a few hours away from their i-pads to prepare a simple kit (or two..or more) that can be stashed in the car, under the bed or on top of the kitchen cabinet. Something that will be crucial to their recovery from a heavy battering.
It only takes half an hour to find dozens of simple and extremely effective ways to light fire with products that everyone has in their home. Alcohol, Q-tips, teabags, tampons, 9v batteries, wire wool.
Simple ways of keeping stuff waterproof. (Ammo especially). Ziplock baggies, matches dipped in candle wax. All this stuff can be kept in a large watertight ziplock in a cookie tin sealed with ducktape until it's ready to go.
Stuff for purifying water. Coffee filters to get the sediment out, a cheap thermometer so you can be sure it's been over 160f for about 45 minutes to kill dangerous waterborne pathogens. (And that cookie tin for a boiling pot.)
Any able bodied creature can improvize a shelter, it's hardwired into all of us but the essential knowledge of how to keep that shelter warm has been lost over the last few generations. Not enough kids joining the scouts or taking heed of the motto:
BE PREPARED!
Of course you don't have to improvize. For a fair price you can just as easily purchase a fancy little survival kit from your local sport/Fishin'/Campin'/Army Surplus outlet but really, are you gonna bother? You aint doin' nothin' tomorrow. Why not make it a little project for you and your kid?
I don't wanna be a doom and gloom merchant roaming the streets with a sign that reads: "THE END IS NIGH"
But I do think this sound advice is shrugged off by just about everyone who's living in "the now".
I don't think about it every day but I do have a little peace of mind knowing I'll be prepared if I do manage to ride out the storm.
I wanna end this with a gun cliche we all know: It's better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it.
