30 Items for Your SHTF Tablet

One item everyone should have in their SHTF arsenal is a tablet that can be used in an emergency situation.  Here are 30 items that should be included in your emergency tablet:

1. The tablet itself.  I am partial to Android tablets as they are much less locked down than Apple tablets.  YMMV
2. The operating system.  A nice thing about Android tablets is that they can be "de Googled" and flashed with alternate--and more secure--ROMs like Calyx, Lineage, etc.
3. Apps.  Again, with Android tablets, they can use an assortment of apps from Play Store apps to fDroid apps, etc.
4. A tablet wireless plan.  Any old tablet will do but a nice option is to have an LTE tablet so that it can have its own wireless plan (this saves using your cell phone as a hotspot and running down its battery).  If you don't want a monthly post-paid plan, SIM cards for prepaid tablet plans are a good option.
5. Micro SD cards/appropriate USB thumb drives.  Many Android tablets allow you to use micro SD cards to expand the memory of the tablet; if this isn't an option, using an appropriate thumb drive (USB-C, lightening, etc) to store information on to use with your tablet is a good idea.
6. A VPN.  While not fool-proof, using a VPN with your tablet is a good idea when it comes to added security.
7. Battery banks.  One should be conventional which can be charged when you have access to power and the other should be a battery bank that can be charged with solar power.
8. Local news apps.  A few different local news apps can keep you up-to-date on the latest local news.
9. National news apps.  Ditto but on a national news level.
10. Scanner apps.  Listen in on local and national police/fire/etc radio traffic on scanner apps like Broadcastify or Scanner Radio; this is particularly useful during a disaster.
11. Weather apps.  Weather apps can give you updates on local and national weather and also allow you to be alerted when there is threatening weather in your area.
12. Map apps.  For everyday use Google Maps and Waze provide useful information for navigating around your city.  It's also a good idea to download offline maps that can be used when you don't have wifi or a cell signal.  Be sure to download free topo maps too.
13. Radio apps.  There are several good radio apps that allow you to listen to music and news on local, national, and international radio stations.  Using the NextRadio app may allow you to listen to FM radio even when your tablet is offline.
14. Downloadable survival manuals.  This is where the micro SD cards come in handy as there are a range of offline survival manuals that you can download but they take up a lot of memory.
15. Emergency Alert apps.  There are a bunch of emergency alert apps that will let you know if there are emergency situations in your area.  These include this one, this one, and this one.
16. Social media apps.  Another way to both give and receive emergency information is via social media apps.  Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, etc. all allow you to interact with people near and far.
17. A backup of all of the files on your computer.  All of the files on your computer can be backed up on your tablet for use during an emergency; be sure to use a good file manager app to easily access your files.
18. First aid apps.  There are a number of first aid apps which work online, as well as a bunch of first aid manuals you can download for offline use.
19. Messaging apps.  You can use the standard messaging app that comes on your tablet (these may require a work around if it is a cell phone-based app being used on a tablet), more secure messaging apps, and even walkie talkie apps to communicate with loved ones during a disaster.
20. Banking apps.  During a disaster, your local bank branches may be closed but you can still access your money via banking apps on your tablet.  Using apps like PayPal, Venmo, or Xoom allow you to easily transfer money to other people if needed.
21. Entertainment apps.  During most disasters there is a lot of panic followed by a lot of waiting...and waiting...and waiting.  Make sure you have apps on your tablet that allow you to access your entertainment options offline like reading downloaded books on Kindle, watching videos and movies offline, listening to music kept on your tablet, playing games offline, etc.  If you do have access to wifi or LTE, Pluto TV is a good alternative for watching TV on your tablet.
22. Apps that alert you to disasters that are common in your area like tornados, earthquakes, and hurricanes.
23. Personal safety apps.  You can use apps to find your family members, record and upload interactions, and receive emergency help.
24. Recipes.  During a disaster--or a pandemic lockdown--you may be cooking at home a lot more.  Unless you have recipes committed to memory, copy and save a range of recipes to help you cook meals from scratch if necessary.
25. Personal info.  If this information isn't a part of your backed up computer files, use your tablet to take photos of important documents (passport, driver's license, etc), take inventory videos of the contents of your home (for insurance purposes), and scan/save documents like your will, living will, medical power of attorney, banking/investing documents, etc.
26. Missing person info.  If you were to become separated from your loved ones during a disaster, you would need certain information in order to find them afterwards.  On your tablet have recent photos of each loved one/family member (face and full body), their full name, address, email address, social media handles, social security number, birthdate, photos of tattoos or scars, medical info, etc.  You can save this guide on your tablet which further expands on the information needed when filing a missing person report.
27. HAM radio apps.  If you are a HAM radio user, having appropriate apps on your tablet (like radio reference for a database of frequencies) can be very useful in a disaster.
28. Apps for wild edibles and foraging.  Make sure the wild plants you find are safe and edible by using appropriate apps for this.  Ditto if you hunt for wild mushrooms.
29. General disaster apps.  These can be local or global in scope and cover everything from blast mapping apps to CBRNE response apps.
30. Other apps which would be useful in an emergency including a flashlight app, a measuring app, notes, web browser, shopping apps, calculator, etc.

15 Sources of Light During an Emergency

It looks like it may be a cold and dark weekend for folks in northern California if PG&E's plan to shut off power to nearly a million people happens.  Hopefully everyone in the area learned several lessons last time the power was shut off and they are all prepared and ready for a longer-term power outage.  If not, here are some ways to prepare for the light you will need when the power goes out...

1. Candles and matches, lots of both.  People are generally not used to using candles so just a quick reminder that if you are going to use candles, be extra cautious so nothing catches on fire.  Note that beeswax candles burn the longest and don't forget candle holders/candlesticks.
2. Flashlights and extra batteries, lots of batteries.  This isn't a 24/7 light source unless you have cornered the market on batteries but every room and every person in the house should have their own flashlight with lots of extra batteries on hand.
3. Headlamp from your backpacking gear.  Be sure to have extra batteries on hand; these are particularly useful when you are working on something and need your hands free from holding a flashlight.
4. Hand-crank flashlights.  Useful because the only power source is your efforts to keep it cranked.
5. Glow sticks.  You can pick these up at the dollar store or in bulk on Amazon and they are good for providing several hours of soft light where ever you need it.
6. Battery-powered lantern.  These can light up an entire room and are great for longer term use but you will need to have extra batteries on hand (an expensive proposition) or a way to recharge the batteries you use.
7. Oil lamps.  The old fashioned kind; be sure you have plenty of lamp oil and wicks on hand.
8. Dual-fuel lanterns.  These run on liquid fuel or unleaded gasoline; be sure to have extra mantles on hand.
9. Garden path solar lights.  These are the solar-powered lights you see in people's yards which are also great for a power outage since all you have to do is set them out in the morning to charge (sun is required), then bring them into the house in the evening to provide hours of light for the family.
10.  Jury-rigged candles.  You can make candles out of all sorts of things like crayons, butter, and Crisco.
11. A bonfire/your fireplace.  The very oldest source of light, fire, can be utilized from your fireplace or if you are outside, from a campfire/bonfire.
12. The lights from your vehicle.  Not a long-term solution but this system provided plenty of light for many a college field kegger.
13. The light on your cell phone.  Again, not a long-term source of light since you don't want to run your cell phone battery down, but this is an excellent source of emergency lighting.
14. Low voltage LED lights powered by a 12v battery (much like you would find on a boat or RV).
15. Natural light.  Your best bet during a long-term outage will be to work with natural light--get up when daybreaks and be in bed not long after sunset.  This may take some getting used to but it is how our ancestors lived for eons.

Two Minor Disasters in a Span of Four Hours

Yesterday was somewhat eventful.  First we were coming back from our errands intending to stop by one more store before hitting the freeway when not one but more than a dozen cop cars came racing past us--lights, sirens, and well over the speed limit.  That usually means one of two things in this city, either an officer down call or an active shooter call.  Unfortunately the city's police radio has been encrypted so I couldn't listen to Broadcastify to find out what was going on.  We headed toward our destination only to find a perimeter set up around the entire shopping center that we were going to go to.  Since that means something big is happening we just kept going to the freeway.  A quick Twitter search told us that there was an active shooter incident and we were apparently minutes from having been in the middle of it.  Fortunately the only person shot was the shooter (by the police) and the many people in the shopping center did the right thing (hiding, running out of the back of the stores if possible, and taking cover).

A few hours later we were watching TV and an emergency alert came in both on the TV and on our cell phones about getting inside of a house/building because a massive wind storm/dust storm was set to hit in a few minutes.  Usually we shrug off these sorts of alerts as they are pretty common during monsoon season.  Also there was no wind at all and it had been a very calm day, weather-wise.  But after the newscaster broke in reiterating the warning and checking social media for the next town over which was in the middle of the storm (per posts by apparently everyone in town talking about the destructive winds), I high-tailed it outside to secure the garbage cans and patio furniture...basically anything that could fly away was brought into the garage.  Only minutes later, winds of more than 50 miles per hour hit our area.

In both of these incidents, situational awareness was key.  What's happening (by observation, using social media, listening to the news, etc) and how should we respond (stay away from the action in the case of the active shooter, and quickly prep for the wind storm).  Pay attention...react...respond.  That's what we prep for.

10 Things to Have on Hand at All Times

The extended family has been dealing with crisis after crisis recently including a heart attack followed by open heart surgery, an arrest (which is heading for trial and most likely prison), a death, an emergency trip overseas...there's probably more but they escape me right now.  In nearly all of these cases, being proactive can alleviate some of the problem by being prepared ahead of time.  Ten things you want to always have on hand to deal with a crisis include:

1. A valid passport.
2. A Will, Living Will, and Medical Power of Attorney.
3. An emergency fund (the more cash you can lay your hands on the better).
4. Insurance (health, auto, home, life, and long term care).
5. A Bug Out Bag (or at least a packed overnight bag).
6. Transportation (valid driver's license, insurance, and a vehicle).
7. Paid days off to take care of yourself or an ill relative (either paid time off from your job, sick leave, or self-funded days off).
8. Someone to help you (lawyer, CPA, care giver, friend...people who can help you out during a crisis are invaluable).
9. All of your important files and personal information at your fingertips (aka on your cell phone).
10. Knowledge.  Learn how to respond to any kind of crisis whether medical, legal, logistical, financial, etc.

You Need to Be Ready to GO

It's been a busy week (month? months?) of disasters.  There were hurricanes (not one but three), there was the mass shooting in Las Vegas, now there are wildfires that have killed 15 and displaced thousands.  What do all of these incidents have in common?  You need to be ready to go at a moment's notice.

Victims of the hurricanes had some warning that their area would probably be devastated and many were warned to evacuate.  Victims of the Vegas shooting had moments (in the concert venue) to minutes (in the rooms closest to the shooter) to leave the area immediately.  Victims of the wildfires that are currently raging in California had minutes to hours to gather what they could and evacuate.  Can you imagine what you would do if you had maybe 10 minutes to grab what you could of your life and leave, probably never being able to return to get the stuff you left behind?

At minimum you need a few things (wallet, ID, phone, cash and credit cards) to see you safely away from your current disaster situation.  From those few things you can set up somewhere else, regroup, and start your life over again somewhere else.

While I always have those few things with me--in my pockets or in a very unfashionable fanny pack--I prefer to have enough things with me in my EDC bag so that I feel pretty much prepared for anything.  Even better is having a Bug Out Bag at the ready to grab and go at a moment's notice.  Obviously a BOB would not be a very practical item to have at a concert.  An EDC bag would be better (minus any firearms or other items that would be flagged by a security scan at a concert venue) for the 'flee and never return' scenario.  During the wildfire evacuations, it looked like people were filling their vehicles with everything but the kitchen sink, which leads me to the conclusion that they hadn't previously given much thought to what they would take if they needed to evacuate with very little notice.

So here are some things to consider today:

• You go out for your morning run but when you come back home you see that SWAT has your neighborhood barricaded and no one will be allowed to go back to their homes until the scene has cleared which could be hours from now.  What do you do?  Where do you go?  Do you have the stuff with you to take care of yourself until you can return home?  What about your family?
• You go to a big community event, expecting to be there for the day, and are caught in the chaos of what could be a terrorism-related event/mass shooter/etc.  Once you are safe, what do you do?  How do you get back home?  Can you get back home or are all roads to your neighborhood on lock down?  Where else can you go?  How would you get there?  If you are separated from family members, how do you find them?
• You are on vacation at a beautiful resort and there is disaster heading your way--maybe a hurricane, an earthquake, a terrorism-related event.  What do you do?  How do you respond?  How do you escape?  How do you get back home?  How do you connect with family members that you are separated from?  Will you have enough food, water, and shelter to take care of yourself until help can arrive?  Will help arrive?  If so, who, how, and how long until they get there?
• You are at home and have seen the smoke over the hills and know that there are wildfires in your area but they have been heading away from you.  Until now.  Now the fires are heading your way and you receive a reverse 911 call telling you a mandatory evacuation order is now in affect for your area.  You need to leave your home immediately and there is good reason to believe it will be a pile of cinders when you return.  What do you do?  What about the kids, pets, and cattle?  Do you have a (several) evacuation routes you can take to get to safety?  What do you put in your vehicle if you only have five minutes to gather the most important things?  What are the most important things to take?  Where will you go?

Obviously in the midst of a disaster situation, chaos will be the order of the day.  But planning, practicing, and being well equipped can mean the difference between a total freak out that doesn't accomplish anything and an orderly (as orderly as possible), efficient, and effective evacuation to a safer location for you and your family.

10 Things You Should Do Right This Minute

With all of the political turmoil and uncertainty, who knows what will happen next.  To have a minimum level of preparedness, and in order to respond to whatever happens, do these ten things as soon as possible:

1. Pack a BOB.  Right now.  Today.  Compartmentalize it so that you will have a number of options at the drop of a hat--bugging out to the wilderness, hopping on a plane and flying overseas, etc.
2. Get a passport.  It remains to be seen how long a US passport will be in the top ranking of passports but better to be safe than sorry if you need to leave the country in a hurry.
3. Put aside cash and cash equivalents.  A minimum of $5000 is good.  More is better.  You can put some of this in a bank (unfortunately these funds can be seized so there is that), but always have enough cash on hand to get you far far away from where you currently are.
4. Focus on your health.  Let's face it, most Americans will drop dead from preventable diseases before any other sort of disaster kills them.  Take control of your health by exercising, eating right, and taking care of your overall health which will put you way ahead of the crowd should the worst (political disaster, natural disaster, etc) happen.
5. Diversify your income.  Stat.  In these tumultuous financial times, having one source of income (for most people this means earning a paycheck) is a recipe for financial disaster.  Businesses close without warning, industries die overnight...you don't want to be standing there in a daze if your only source of income is here today and gone tomorrow.  By next month you should have earned money from at least a half dozen other sources besides your regular job.
6. Prepare to Bug In.  Bugging in is optimal for most people in most disasters.  In a well-stocked, well-prepared house, you can hang out for quite a while in relative comfort.
7. Travel, especially in third-world countries.  Wait, didn't you just tell me to prepare to stay home?  The fact is that political upheaval can force you out of your home--and even out of your country--with very little notice.  By traveling now you will learn the skills you need to survive as a nomad anywhere in the world.
8. Learn continually.  The more skills you have under your belt the better off you will be.  In a survival situation of any sort--wilderness bug out situation, as a reality TV show contestant, when a natural disaster strikes, etc--the person who has learned hundreds of useful skills has a much greater chance of surviving compared to someone whose only skill is leveling up to the triple digits in Skyrim. 
9. Make your preps triple-redundant.  So you have one friend you can count on during a disaster?  Try to up that count to three.  If you have only prepared one way to evacuate (by car) consider a couple more alternatives (motorcycle, bicycle).  If your only form of emergency communication is via cell phone, learn something about HAM radio and VoIP.  You get the idea...
10. Turn down the chatter.  With the barrage of negative social media, "fake news", "alternative facts", and the rest of the crap you are exposed to on a daily basis, you now have to take proactive steps to bring some sanity to your everyday existence.  Try to do more interesting things and participate less in stress-inducing social media platforms. 

10 Things About the DC Metro Shutdown

If you haven't heard, the Washington DC Metro System will be shut down for 29 hours starting tomorrow.  For most people, it's a non event but for the 800,000 (!) people who rely on the system to get to work/daycare/school/etc. it will be a rather big deal.  Here's some things to consider whether you are impacted or not:

1. Weird stuff like this happens on occasion, often without notice, and we, the general public, won't get much of an explanation of the real reason why it is happening.  Conspiracy theories much?
2. What would happen if you couldn't get home from work/school/your doctor's appointment/the shopping center you are at/etc?  Some people take the Metro several (or several dozen) miles away from home so if you couldn't get home in the way you always do, what would you do?  Walk home? Uber? Shelter in Place? Stay with a friend? Camp out at school or work?  Plan now for this sort of eventuality.
3. Most importantly, if you are stranded at work over night or at school over night or at a friend's house overnight, what items must you absolutely have to survive?  Consider always taking with you a small BOB, you necessary medications, an emergency blanket, cash, good walking shoes, a cell phone charger, snack food, etc.
4. Prepare for social unrest.  800,000 pissed off people can create quite the problem if they were to all end up stranded somewhere.  You don't want to be in the middle of this if at all possible.  
5. Stay home if you can.  There will be lots of people that will need (or try) to get to work tomorrow but if at all possible, save yourself the stress and stay home.  You already know that there will be a problem so why exacerbate the situation by joining in the fray?
6. Help others in need.  While there was a little bit of notice which might keep the situation from getting totally out of hand (imagine what would have happened if they would have shut down today, mid day, with no notice at all??) some people may still end up in a precarious situation.  If possible, help others in any way you can.  It's good karma and the best way to handle a bad situation.
7. Know what your school/work policy for such an event is.  Usually there are policies in place for weather disruptions but since this is pretty unique, you may need to ask your employer what options you have (working from home, taking the day off tomorrow and working Saturday instead, etc).
8. Make a plan with the family using this situation as an example.  What if the transit system had been shut down with no notice and the family was spread out all over the city, miles away from home and away from each other?  What would you all do?
9. Pay attention to the local news (use multiple sources including newspaper websites, Facebook and Twitter for city and county services such as police and fire and the Metro, reddit, etc) to stay up on any breaking news including shortened or extended closures, alternative transit options, etc.
10. Use the lessons learned from this situation (I'm sure there will be multiple news articles about the closure and its after affects) to plan for future events.

For some interesting reading on the topic check out these threads.

25 Things to ALWAYS Carry With You (The Revised List)

Way back in 2008 I posted this list of stuff that I always carried with me. Since it's been a while, I figured I would update the list so here it is...

1. Smart phone with internet and GPS service.


2. $200 in cash.


3. $2 in quarters.


4. A concealable firearm/concealed carry permit (personal choice here, some may choose not to carry).


5. Pocket knife


6. ID of some sort (like a driver's license and/or passport; I often carry both)


7. Condom (for the usual purpose; can be used to carry water in an emergency if it is the unlubed kind)


8. OB tampon (for women, although it is reported to work well for bullet wounds too).


9. Thumb drive with all of my back-up files on it.


10. A debit card attached to a bank account with $2000 +/- in it (I don't use credit cards. Also, I don't want this card attached to my main bank account so I have this separate bank account and debit card for emergency purposes).


11. Laminated list of numbers for people I can count on in an emergency (kept in my wallet in case my cell phone dies).


12. Laminated list of medical info (kept in my wallet and includes allergies, medications, doctor's name, brief health history, etc).


13. Small, flat flashlight found at Walmart for around $2 (hangs on my key chain).


14. Lighter (I don't smoke but this has been useful on many occasions).


15. Pen (Pilot Precise v7 to be exact), paper (Moleskein), and business cards.


16. Aspirin (the kind that comes two to a foil pack which makes them easy to carry).


17. Digital camera (most people use their cell phones for picture taking these days but I often need to take highly detailed photos so I still carry a small digital camera).


18. Floss (Glide in the small flat dispenser; great for its usual purpose but can also be used for a multitude of other things as well).


19. Necessary medication (I don't take medication however this is an excellent reminder for those who do--you may be stranded overnight away from home so if you rely on certain medication, make sure you always carry extra).


20. Spare house key (cheaper than breaking a window if you forget your key and safer than leaving a key under a rock in your front yard).


21. Rubber band and safety pin (these take up very little space and have been useful many times over the years).


22. Bottle of water and food (it is often my habit to carry a bottle of water and Cliff bar in my briefcase/bag if I plan to be gone for the day...I'm not a fan of vending machines or fast food if I am hungry or thirsty).


23. Mirror (I found a tiny, round mirror that I stuck onto the side of my floss dispenser which can be used for signalling in an emergency).


24. Whistle (I have a small, tubular whistle hanging on my keychain along with the flashlight...great for use in an emergency for signalling).


25. Sunglasses (apart from its usual use on a sunny day, can be used to observe others unobtrusively).

For a look at what other people carry with them, click here.

Need Help? Here's Where to Look

People need help all the time. From asking why your computer is DOA to finding out where your next meal is coming from, if you find yourself destitute, here's some places to try if you need help:

• AskMetafilter. People use this site to seek help on all kinds of issues from relationship problems to travel questions to tech/cooking/health/et al issues.
• Reddit. This is a huge site with a special section to ask for help from other redditors.
• Call 211. It's like dialing 911 but this nation-wide number connects callers to all kinds of social service help in their local communities (food banks, emergency housing, job training, etc). You can also visit the online 211 site here.
• Google. Many problems can be solved, or at least helped, by Googling. I have been able to Google computer problems (and solve them with what I found on Google) and provide referrals for all kinds of things (crisis intervention, medical /legal), etc. just from typing away on my computer.
• Local churches. There are all kinds of churches; some are more helpful than others with everything from pastoral care to hosting food banks, emergency housing, and other services for people in need.
• Community "helping" agencies. Such as the Salvation Army (food, toiletries, occasionally shelter), St Vincent de Paul (help with utility bills and food), YWCA (domestic violence support and emergency shelters), state welfare office (food stamps, housing, cash assistance), etc.
• Ask people. Getting help in it's simplest form comes down to asking people for what you need. Whether you are asking the family to help with a project, standing on a corner with a sign asking passers-by for a spare dollar, asking for a job, or asking friends or relatives for a place to stay, a pleasing personality and the nerve to ask for help when you need it can be one of the easiest and fastest way to get the help you need.

Lessons Learned: Technology Isn't Perfect and Be Prepared

This article was making the rounds on the web the last couple of days. Lessons learned from this article:
#1--Technology isn't perfect (and its corollary, use your common sense). In this article, the couple followed their GPS device which led them down a snowy forest service road where they got stuck in the snow for a few days before being rescued. My GPS has a couple of glitches as well, mainly it doesn't know brand new roads so when I was driving down a small highway in an area I was unfamiliar with not too long ago, my unit said to "turn right here" which would have caused me to drive off the side of the freeway overpass to the other freeway 30 feet below. The freeway had been redesigned and apparently changed from a stop light to an overpass. Common sense told me not to turn where there isn't a road. The bottom line is that technology is good but you still need to pay attention to where you are going and if you are following your GPS, you may also want to either have a general idea about where you are going or at least stay on the main (plowed) freeways instead of taking small side roads to get to where you are going. Note that this rule applies to all forms of technology. Computers die so be sure to back up your documents, cell phone service isn't available everywhere so if you think you can call for help if you get into a dicey situation, you better have a back-up plan for accessing assistance. MapQuest and Google Maps are great, usually. If where you are going doesn't look like what the map is saying, consider calling for directions.
#2--Be prepared. I'm glad the article put so much emphasis on the fact that these people were able to survive their ordeal because they were prepared. Food, water, warm clothes, and emergency supplies are what helped them survive which is a good lesson for everyone no matter what kind of situation you find yourself in. You may make mistakes, you may inadvertently find yourself in a dangerous situation, but if you are prepared to take care of yourself no matter the situation for a few days, you will have a much better chance of survival. Always be prepared whether it is carrying basic survival necessities in your Go Bag, having a well stocked car, having a BOB at the ready in case of evacuation, or just having enough food, water, and preps for emergency heating available at home should you end up snowed in or otherwise sheltered in place.

10 Things You Can Do Today to Improve Your Chance of Survival

I am busy today. Actually I am busy most days. I think many people are like this, in a kind of fast-forward style of living that leaves little time for major projects. This is why I like my information short and concise, why I like my conversations the same way, and why I like to do a variety of very small preparedness projects (like watching a 45 minute Surviving Disaster episode while eating lunch at my desk) instead of one or two major preparedness projects. At least, I feel, I will cover the basics while completing a whole bunch of small activities that will, hopefully, cover the basics of the widest range of disasters that are likely to happen. Here's some ideas for small survival-oriented activities that you and your family can complete:

1. Watch an episode of Surviving Disaster online. I rave about this show so much because it is the first time I have seen easily digestible survival information geared towards the average person. Not the person with extensive survival training, not the person who fancies themself the next coming of Rambo, but ordinary people--those who are most likely to encounter the kinds of disasters this show discusses.
2. Go check your smoke detectors. Do they work? How long has it been since you changed the batteries in these devices? The average person is much more likely, odds-wise, to face something as common as a house fire than to face a tsunami, mass shooting, or other highly publicized disaster.
3. Stop by the Dollar Store on your way home today and pick up ten cans of soup. Sounds simple but by making this small investment, you have just put together ten meals for use when the power goes out, when stores aren't accessible because of a snow storm, when you are too sick to get up and cook actual food, etc.
4. Call up your doctor and see if your vaccinations are up to date. During a disaster, you can improvise many things but you can't improvise your way out of lock-jaw because your last tetanus shot was 20 years ago. Some vaccines you may want to update: tetanus, hepatitis A and B, influenza, possibly pneumonia, and others as recommended by your doctor.
5. Can you make a fire? Sadly, this is a long lost skill that during a disaster, you may need to know how to do. If you were to practice for only 15 minutes a day, every day for a year, making a small fire in all kinds of weather conditions and with all kinds of materials, you would be an expert. Unfortunately this skill is lost because we don't need to "go make fire" in the normal course of our day any more, but should you become lost in the wilderness, survive a plane crash in the mountains, or not have the accouterments of modern life available after a disaster, you will be glad you now this skill.
6. Sign up for a CPR class. There is no excuse for anyone in this entire country not to know CPR. This is such an important skill (more so now I would hazard to guess as our population ages) and the classes are so easily available in most every community, that there is no excuse not to know how to save a life with CPR.
7. Take a few minutes to write down important numbers on a piece of paper. If your computer was dead and your cell phone was dead, would you still be able to call the gas company, your brother, your employer, etc? Most people keep all of these numbers on their cell phone, in their Outlook program, or otherwise on their computer which is not good if a disaster should strike. You need to be able to access these phone numbers with or without a cell phone or computer that works.
8. Hold an unannounced fire drill when the family gets home tonight. Do the actual walk through of what people would do if they were awoken by the smoke alarm--crawl on the floor, check the door to see if it is hot, devise two ways to escape from each room, know where to meet up near the house after escaping from your home, etc. Although a complete drill is better than just talking about what you would do, I would caution against actually trying to escape from a second story window due to the danger.
9. Dump out your BOB and repack it. This will take more than a few minutes to do but it is good to do this at the change of each season. Now that it is winter, are the clothes in your BOB appropriate? Do the batteries still work? How old is the food and water?
10. Check to see if your car is prepared for winter. Again,this may take a little longer than a lunch break but since you rely on your car everyday, it is important to make it as safe and thoroughly prepared as possible. How are the tires? Winter is not the time to have bald tires. Do you know where your snow chains are? Are the emergency supplies in the car still in working order (ie: batteries in flashlights, food and water still edible, etc)?

Many of these tasks are common sense, generic survival preps that we often overlook. By taking a few minutes today, you can knock these off of your list and move forward on more intensive survival projects.

20 60-Second Preparedness Tasks

In less than a half hour, you can complete the following preparedness tasks and know that should a disaster--large or small--happen, you will be a little bit more prepared than you were earlier today:

1. Put an ICE (in case of emergency) number on your cell phone. This makes it easier for paramedics and law enforcement to know who to call if you are unconscious at an accident scene.
2. Check to make sure all of your smoke detectors are working.
3. Put yourself on the Do Not Call list (www.donotcall.gov) so that you/your family/your kids/etc. won't become victims of telemarketers.
4. Check your annual credit report (www.annualcreditreport.com) to make sure no one has hijacked your credit.
5. Sign up for NOAA alerts for your particular state/region at www.nws.noaa.gov/alerts-beta/
6. Make sure all of your computers are password protected.
7. Look in your wallet, if you don't see a $100 bill in there, put one in ASAP for emergencies.
8. Stand up and stretch for 60 seconds--twist your torso, touch your toes, reach for the sky, etc. Do this many times throughout the day.
9. Write down these five numbers to keep by your phone: the number for natural gas emergencies, the number for electric emergencies, the number to report cable outages, the number to report phone outages, and the number for your local nurse hotline.
10. Set a regular date and time to test your emergency communications plan contact system. Take 60 seconds now to email your contact and warn them that you will regularly be testing your system by having your family members call them on, for example, the first Tuesday of each month at 10am.
11. Test your blood pressure (you will probably need to do this at the grocery store or the mall or other location where they have the machines to provide this free service). It takes less than a minute to stick your arm into the sleeve and get a blood pressure reading. While these machines may not be the most accurate, any elevated reading should be cause to consult with your doctor.
12. Run an anti-virus scan on your computer (it takes longer than 60 seconds but only a few seconds to get the process started).
13. Put your seatbelt on. Again, you can't do this sitting at your desk but make wearing a seatbelt a habit, it only takes a few seconds to put it on.
14. Go compliment a family member. It takes less than a minute to point out something good that you appreciate about a person (this improves their self esteem and builds family harmony).
15. Check your fire extinguishers. Make sure they are properly charged and have been checked within the past couple of years.
16. Toss a stuffed pillow on the floor, pretend it is your CPR mannequin, and practice 60 seconds of chest compressions to the beat of "Staying Alive". Doing this for a minute straight is actually more difficult than it looks.
17. Sign up for CDC alerts through their various social media tools (www.cdc.gov/SocailMedia/Tools/).
18. Practice breathing. In through the nose, hold it for a few seconds, out through the mouth. Do this for a minute. Sounds odd but this is a great way to relieve stress on a regular basis, a way to get your composure together while shooting, and a way to immediately diffuse tension in a stressful situation.
19. Plan tomorrow today. Make a list of the things you need to accomplish, the calls you need to make, the errands you need to run, etc. Add a preparedness task to complete on the list as well.
20. Read the Daily Insight article on the CNI website (www.codenameinsight.com). These are usually short, preparedness-related articles that provide useful information on survival-related topics.

More on My 'Don't Panic' Theory

In the course of the year and a half or so that I have been writing this blog, one of my main messages has been not to panic. No matter what is happening, adding panic to the mix does not help. Here you will find an article which once again shows how panic has created more problems than the actual problem itself (ie: the swine flu). Financial crisis? People panic. Rice crisis? People panic. Panicking and behaving irrationally doesn't fix the original problem. What's worse, the media feeds off of people panicking which is great for video and sound bites, quite sad for the people who are reacting poorly.
Here's an idea. When you come across a problem which would send the general public into a panic and bring the media out of the woodwork to report on the general population panicking and behaving irrationally, take these steps:

• Identify the core problem
• Get educated about the problem (read about the entire issue from knowledgeable sources; include background information, best possible out come, worst possible outcome, mitigation possibilities, etc)
• Observe how the media and the general population are reacting to the problem (you probably won't want to react this way)
• Create your own plan to address the issue (do this by looking at all of your options and thinking of ways to address the problem--you get extra points for "thinking outside the box")
• React, on your own terms. By all means try some avoidance tactics (switch to potatoes if there is a rice shortage, build up your emergency fund even more if a financial crisis is looming, isolate yourself for a period of time until the flu passes by, etc). Avoidance of a problem is often the most efficient and effective reaction rather than hitting a problem head on. Also remember to be flexible. Just because things should go a certain way, doesn't mean that they will, so react in a flexible manner--fluidly like water rather than solidly like a rock.

Reevaluating Your Preparedness Supplies and Gear

When it comes time to reevaluate your BOB, preparedness gear, and emergency supplies, here are some things to keep in mind:

• With your emergency food supplies, be sure to incorporate them into your normal food rotation. For food in your BOB, change it out completely every six months.
• Always check everything with a battery (flashlights, radios, etc) to make sure the batteries still work. Consider replacing the spare batteries straight out--use the older batteries for your home electronics and put spare packs of fresh batteries in your BOBs and with your survival supplies.
• Try on your clothes! I generally revamp my BOB every six months or so. Be sure to actually try on the clothes that are set aside in your BOB and with your survival gear because we tend to grow over time and you want to know that the clothes will actually fit when the time comes to use them.
• Always rotate medications continuously as these tend to expire very quickly.
• Consider survival supplies that you may no longer be able to use. Case in point...I have heavy ropes which are knotted and tied to each bed post in all of our second floor bedrooms. Now a few decades ago I may have just jumped out of the window in an emergency. A couple of decades ago, I came up with the knotted rope idea as a way to exit these upper floor rooms in an emergency; simply toss the rope out the window and climb down. Now I am reconsidering how people (us and guests who are getting a bit older and less limber) might exit these rooms. I am thinking about getting the rope ladders that can hang from the windows and allow people to climb down for a quick escape. As people get older, considerations need to be made for physical abilities that may not have had to be considered years ago.
• Consider survival supplies (and gear) that you didn't need before but may need now. Acquiring a new kid, a new pet, or a new person in your life or moving to a new location or acquiring a new place to live or...you get the idea. Any new change in your household or to your household will require you to make changes in your survival supplies. Baby supplies, pet supplies, or supplies for the elderly or infirm may not have been needed when you originally packed up your survival gear but things change and your emergency supplies need to change with these changes.

Flood Report

First it was massive snow and now it is massive rain causing--what else--massive flooding. Although we are high and dry, hundreds of thousands of others in our state aren't. Here's a bundle of random observations:

• Keep your road drains clear. When they get covered up with leaves and debris, even moderate rain can back up and cause minor flooding.


• This is another reason to have a BOB (bug out bag). Many people were caught unprepared in areas that flooded rapidly. They had to evacuate with very little notice and many on the news were leaving with just the clothes on their backs. Always evacuate with a well-stocked BOB.


• Think again about your evacuation plan. When people in our area think about evacuation, we think we have a number of options--north to Canada, east to Idaho, or south to Oregon. As of this afternoon ALL of these roads were closed due to flooding and mud slides so we are, in effect, an island with no way out other than boat or aircraft.


• Think also about keeping your food stocked up. Because all roads in and out are closed due to flooded roadways, it means that delivery trucks which are carrying the food that stocks our grocery store shelves can't get in. While this shouldn't last for more than a week or so, I am guessing there are plenty of families with children that are going to be needing milk, diapers, and other basic supplies who aren't prepared.


• The best sources of information about current road conditions: local online newspapers, TV news broadcasts, AM talk radio, department of emergency management websites, and county road department websites.


• Speaking of AM talk radio, one particular station was doing an excellent job today of letting the public get on the air and give first hand reports about the roads in their area. They also were allowing people who needed help with sandbagging and other tasks get on the air and ask the public directly for help which seemed to, pardon the pun, bring out a flood of volunteers.
• There are some areas that flood like this every year. Why people insist on rebuilding in these areas is beyond me.
• Note that floods are usually not covered by homeowners insurance. Without separate flood insurance you will be (another pun) up a creek without a paddle.
• Don't drive over flooded roads. You hear this every time there is a flood and every time there is a flood, somebody drives over a road that is flooded. While they may have driven over this road every day for years, as one guy saw today, the road that he knew so well was actually missing under all of the water. It had washed out and so instead of driving through a puddle of water, his car hit the drop off and floated away, with him inside. He was able to get to the roof of the car and call for help which required a swift water rescue team and no doubt a lecture by the local fire chief.
• If you have a septic tank and/or well, you will have problems if your area floods. If there is any question about flood water getting into your well, always boil your water until you get the all clear from the health department. This is also a good reason to have water stocked for an emergency.
• You need an evacuation plan for just these types of emergencies. Where would you go? What will you do with your pets and/or livestock? How will you get to your destination? Do you have alternate ways to get to your destination and/or alternate evacuation destinations?
• Keep your cell phone charged. When you evacuate, or in the case of the guy stranded in his floating car, you may need to call for emergency help. If the battery on your cell phone has died, you will have a problem.
• In situations like these is is always good to have skis (in the case of heavy snow) and a boat, even if it is a simple kayak or canoe, in the case of heavy flooding.

Anyway, that's my observations of the situation. Some preparedness ideas: never build in a flood plain. It is fine for pastureland if you also have much higher ground available for your animals, but the thought of having to sandbag each year or move your furniture to the second floor each winter is ludicrous. Always have a BOB, cash, and charged cell phone on hand. If you are high and dry, stay home where you are safe; wandering around to "see what's happening" can put you in a precarious situation.

10 Things You Must Take With You When You Evacuate

Last month there were wild fire evacuation and this month there are hurricane evacuations. Add to that the possibility of tsunami evacuations and the occasional winter storm evacuation and you see the need to have things ready to go in an instant. Of course we always recommend that everyone have their BOB ready to go, but for friends and family members who think being ready to "bug out" is a bit of the extremist side, make sure they at lease bring the following items:

1. Cash—there may not be an ATM (or it may not be working) when/where you evacuate to.
2. Medications—you may not have your prescription on hand or pharmacies may not be open so bring your own necessary meds.
3. Food and water—when you evacuate, stores may not be open or the place you end up may not have food and water so bring it with you.
4. Important papers—things such as passports, birth certificates, marriage license, financial document, etc. are necessary to prove who you are and what you own. Bring them with you.
5. An overnight bag—if you have a hygiene kit and a change of clothes, at least you will be able to clean up after you evacuate; this is a big psychological boost in a trying time.
6. Communications stuff—a cell phone and a hard copy of your contact information (friend’s and family member’s phone and email contact info).
7. A thumb drive with all of the contents of your computer backed up on it.
8. Something to pass the time—playing cards, a book, an iPod, etc.
9. Emergency supplies—first aid kit, flashlight, emergency blanket, etc.
10. Any special, hard to replace item—dentures, hearing aids, glasses, nebulizer, etc.

Notes from the Most Recent Preparednss Conference

Now that I've had a bit of time to catch up since the last conference I attended, I figured I should organize my notes and share the things that I learned that can apply to just about any situation. These include:

• About 85% of the preps you make will apply to any disaster situation. The other 15% will need to be tailored to the specific emergency.


• When you practice your drills, have each family/team member assume different roles. You shouldn't always be the leader because you never know if you will be around so others need to know how to be the leader as well. I found it funny when about 15 high ranking people were tossed into a hands-on drill situation and all 15 immediately assumed the incident commander role. Of course in their organizations, this is the role they would have, but when put into a different situation, with different people, the ability to quickly organize and fall into the necessary roles is important.


• There was an emphasis on resiliency being the thing that sets survivors apart. I remember talking to a man quite a while back who survived the tsunami in Indonesia. When I asked him what he did in the days following the tsunami, he said he and his family started cleaning up. He said if he would have waited for the government to help, nothing would have got done. I guess in his, and many other countries, people are much more resilient because they have to be or they wouldn't survive.


• People often think of a warrior as a fighter and that's all. A warrior actually encompasses a number of traits, only one of which is being able to fight. Warriors are responsible, they see the mission but they see the bigger picture as well, they use common sense, they are disciplined--both physically and mentally, they lead when they need to lead and follow when they need to follow...


• There are a number of community organizations that civilians can participate in to learn preparedness skills: Search and Rescue, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Blockwatch, etc.
• Mobile command posts are cool--I was in gadget heaven in a few of the units. Are you ready to go mobile? You may not have millions to spend on such a unit, but do you have plans for things such as incoming and outgoing communications, a way to receive news and information, security for your mobile unit, food and water, et al?
• If you are in the vicinity of what may be a bomb, turn off all radios, cell phones, walkie talkies, and other radio-type devices.
• Train with your family to use HAM radios and make these a part of your plan. It's surprising how many organizations have HAM radios for back-up communications yet they either forget to rely on them when necessary or forget to turn them on so that people can call into them. Regular use will make them more likely to be used in an emergency.
• Experience counts. If you are planning for a hurricane, you want to pick the brain of someone who has survived a big hurricane. All of the preparation in the world will not be able to teach you what been-there-done-that experience will.

Yet Another Reason to Prepare

As you watch the news about the wild fires that are at this minute charring much of Southern California, consider this another warning that the time to get prepared is NOW. It's easy to watch the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina or the Asian tsunami and think "that could never happen where I live." That may be true, those specific disasters may never happen where you live, but it is possible that another type of disaster (earthquake, wildfire, tornado) could have similar consequences.

There are any number of natural and man-made disasters that could force you and your family to abandon your home and evacuate at a moment's notice. Would you be prepared? Would you be able to gather everything you need to start your life over again in the event that when you returned to your home, not a single thing (house, neighborhood, landscape, infrastructure--nothing!) was left standing?

You need to have ready to "grab and go" the following things:

• People and pets and BOBs for each.
• Important documents and keepsakes (family pictures, birth/marriage/death certificates).
• Cash, financial documents/information, and more cash.
• A well-stocked, well-prepared Bug Out Vehicle.
• All insurance info (policy information, home inventory).
• Other necessities (laptops, cell phones, chargers, firearms, ammo. computer file backup, medications and prescriptions, wallet, keys)

It's also a nice idea to have a evacuation plan...know where you can go for temporary shelter and how you can get there.

Notes From A Windstorm

A windstorm rolled through here a few days ago and left most of the area without power for about 48 hours. Here is a list of random notes that I put together (by candlelight) as we waited out the storm.

• Always keep at least a half tank of gas in your car. Trees and power lines were down so in order for many to get home they had to drive way out of their way to find alternate routes around the damage; you don't want to have to do this when the gas stations don't have power and your car is running on fumes.
• Know how to drive during a power outage. With street lights out, you need to drive slower than normal. With stop lights out, you need to treat every intersection as a four way stop, however don't assume cross traffic will stop, especially on dark roads--the cars may not even know they are passing though an intersection. Watch out for downed trees and power lines as well as for people walking alongside the (very) dark roadways.
• Your car should have a sufficiently stocked BOB just in case you end up camping out at your office.
• Your car emergency bag should be stocked and ready to go any time you need it. It should also be well organized so you can dig the flashlight out of it by feel in order to light your way through the pitch dark path from your vehicle to your home.
• Know how to manually open your garage door.
• For obvious reasons (like suffocation) don't use a grill or BBQ in the house for either cooking or warmth. Anything that emits carbon monoxide needs to be used outside or in a well ventilated area (like a garage with the doors wide open).
• If power outages are one of the most common disasters you face in your area, keep a power outage box at the ready. The box (one of those big plastic tubs with a lid) should have in it: lots of candles, matches, one flashlight per person in the household, lots of spare batteries, a radio that works on batteries and with a crank charger, spare batteries for the radio, a land line phone handset (the kind that only connects to the phone jack), a manual can opener, a wind up or battery operated alarm click if necessary, and a battery operated TV (not necessary but nice to have).
• Of course you will also want to have stocked lots of bottled water and have a good-sized cache of food that doesn't need to be cooked to be edible. Remember to add some "comfort food" as well (cookies, candies, pop tarts, etc). MREs may be fine in the field but aren't tolerated very well by the family after a very short period of time.
• Make sure your alternative source of heat is ready to go. Do you have adequate wood for the fireplace or wood stove? Does the kerosene heater work properly and do you have enough kerosene (safely stored) to last for a period of time? Do you have plenty of spare matches?
• If you have a gas stove and hot water tank, you will still be able to cook and take showers. Nice.
• Keep your cell phone charged. This is often your only option for communication and internet access during a disaster.
• If you have a generator (or two--some people have a separate generator for their wells around here), use it expeditiously. If someone needs 24/7 power for medical reasons that's one thing but you don't really need to run it all night long. It keeps the neighbors awake and is a waste of fuel. Note: have the generator professionally installed and ALWAYS have it located outside so as to safely vent the exhaust.
• Have a security plan if needed. How will you get in your building if you need to swipe a card through an electronic reader to get in and there is no power? How is your neighborhood in general? Roving bands or kids or thugs may necessitate a security response--know what you would do in this situation.
• Check on elderly or infirm neighbors to make sure that they are keeping warm, hydrated, and fed.
• Be extra careful--a fall off a ladder or sliced hand in not good under normal conditions, really bad under less than optimal conditions.
• Sign up for emergency alerts. Our county DEM (Department of Emergency Management) office has an email list people can subscribe to to receive emergency notifications. Besides being all over the news, I knew a windstorm was coming about twelve hours in advance from a DEM notice sent to my email inbox.
• Keep cards and games on hand. After the initial shock of not being able to use the computer/TV/XBox/etc., the family is going to need to be able to entertain themselves--a foreign concept to be sure, but something that can be done if necessary.
• Enjoy the peace and quiet. It is actually very dark and very quiet and very peaceful at night during a power outage.