It was 30DEC99 and my son was a patient at Johns Hopkins Hospital in
Baltimore. He had been born in September with a serious heart defect. My
wife and I were very anxious for several reasons, since he was stable
my biggest fear was being stuck in the ghetto of Baltimore for Y2K. I
had secured leave from the police department so that I could take my
family to my parents house and watch the world from a safe distance.
What worried me then, as it does now with major social events, is not
the danger of the events themselves, but the actions of those who are
unprepared and desperate.
Well, as we know Y2K turned out to be a non-event. Either way we had
been discharged from the hospital and traveled to my parents house and
enjoyed the new year. The interesting thing about Y2K was that unlike
any other event it was scheduled. We knew the exact time and date and
were given time to plan for it. For many, it was their first time
dabbling in the survival community, which is now known as the
preparedness community.
Survival- the act or fact of surviving, esp. under adverse or unusual circumstances and diversity.
The following is only my opinion based on my own life, that of my close friends, and conversations with some students.
Whenever there is a climate of uncertainty in society, there is a very
small percentage of the population that realizes for the first time that
they need to prepare. For many this means rushing for the first time to
buy guns, gear, flashlights, knives, you name it. Using the Internet
and friends, they seek advice as to what they should purchase. What they
usually end up with is a big pile of gear that they have either never
used before, or even know how to use.
As with anything, you first need to inventory your needs and exposures.
Too many family men purchase and train like they are going to be the
lone survivor walking down the street decked out with multi-cam with
their tricked out M4 in hand. How long do you think any one person would
last like that in reality? Even though, romantic as it may be, the
truth is that lots of guys would be just like me if they had to bug out;
that is in a mini-van with crying kids and a *****ing wife. We have all
been there; a family road trip, the kids have to pee, the wife is
hungry, and you are stuck in traffic. Do you think things would be any
better if you were driving to an unknown location in an emergency with a
bunch of other people running from the same thing? Life will go on,
your kids will get cold, they will puke in the van, they will want to
eat. Everyone will begin to miss their creature comforts. What about the
pets? Yeah, I know there are lots of tough guys saying forget them. Try
to put that one by the kids. What about prescription medications and
coffee? Yes, they are the same to me.
You also need someplace to go. This is a fundamental tactical rule.
Never leave a location without having another location to move to. You
have to consider time, distance, and terrain. If it is an apocalyptic
event, will traveling only increase your exposure to threat? The farther
the distance, the more exposure. On your route, are there likely choke
points or checkpoints? Will you be crossing jurisdictions where what is a
legally owned firearm at your home, is an arrestable offense in
another? These are questions that come to mind for a preplanned
location. What if you are in refugee mode and traveling with the masses?
What if the unprepared on the route see something you have in traffic
and decide to take it? I know, you will shoot them. What if they shoot
you in return, and you are killed or injured? Does your wife know how to
use your high speed gear? Does she even know enough first aid to save
you? Can she do it with your kids screaming because blood is pumping out
of your chest? Unfortunately, any of us may face these situations if
there is an incident that makes our current location uninhabitable.
Everyone should have a place in mind to move to if necessary. I like to
use a town, county, state approach. Have somewhere to move in your town,
out of your town, in another county, in another state. The most
important one to me is the one in town. They should be people that are
like minded. If you have kids, it would be helpful for them to have
kids. If you have pets, they will be more welcome by someone else who
has pets. The shorter the distance you need to move increases your
survivability with a lesser amount of exposure.
Preparedness is like physical fitness, the little things you do every
day matter more than the big things you do once in a while. You will
need a flashlight or first aid kit before a firearm. All three can save
yours or someone else's life. You just need to admit to yourself that
possession of an item has nothing to do with proficiency. To me it is
more important that my wife can deal with an arterial bleed or perform
CPR on my kid than be able to do transitions from a rifle to a pistol.
Don't get me wrong, I love gear. Especially useful gear. Now that I am
retired and teaching full time, I live out of the Bag of Evil. This is
to the point that instead of packing my shaving kit to travel I just use
my shaving kit at home. It makes it easier not to forget anything. I do
the same thing with the Bag of Evil. When I am home, most of what I use
from my digital camera, to spare batteries, to medications is in my
bag. This has achieved two things. One is that I always know the status
of my gear. Secondly, I can find anything in the bag in the dark or send
someone else for something. I have been using the So Tech Mission Pack
for over a year and do not see myself changing. The design of the bag
allows me to use the front two pockets for everyday items and the
interior mesh pockets for lesser used items, like my first aid and tool
kit. The main compartment is left open except for my RMJ Shrike
Tomahawk. Since the rest of the pack is full of EDC items, the main
compartment can be filled with things that are mission specific or
needed in an emergency. The bottom line is "know your bag". Work out of
it, live out of it, carry it. There is nothing worse than picking up a
stuffed pack and carrying it for the first time in an emergency. Work
with your bag. If you find you need something more than once, just add
it.
If you need to balance a preparedness life style with being a normal
person, do the little things every day. It also means you will be more
aware and better able to recognize your options. It is easier when you
know what you have to work with.
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