Outline for Preparedness

I wanted to share with you my outline for personal preparedness.  I will do my research and document my findings to this blog based on this outline.  The 0. items are for you to do on your own, however I may contribute some wellness related articles to another blog we are talking about.

A: At the least, I recommend:

0. Body

Your body is the most important tool you own.  It's a tool that will always be with you, and you should hone this tool and ensure it is in top working order.  During an event your body and essentially your health will determine how far you can walk or how hard you can run, how long you can go without food or water, how much you can carry and move.  It is imperative that we respect our bodies, strengthen our bodies and maintain our bodies; after all, in the end your life depends on the condition of your body.

The rule of threes states, you can live three minutes without breathing, three days without water, and three weeks without food.  But that only applies if you are healthy to begin with, get healthy and stay healthy.

0.1 Visit Your Physician

Many of us tend to wait until our small issues have grown into larger ones before visiting our physicians.  and even worse many healthcare institutions are designed to treat symptoms rather than prevention.  Never put off your health until tomorrow, if an event occurs tomorrow, you might not have the opportunity to seek the treatment that you need.

0.1.1 Tend to Chronic Conditions

If you have a bad back, or toothache, a small rash or bleeding gums.  Go and see your physician.  I just outlined why above, but chronic conditions should be treated so that they do not escalate into something worse.

0.2 Get In Shape

In goes without saying that if you have trouble walking up a flight of stairs or around the block, fleeing your home one foot may be a difficult situation.  Needless to say, if you are in a group fleeing for your life, you might just be left behind.  We need to maintain good cardiovascular and muscular fitness levels so that we can move our body from point A to point B, and utilize out greatest tool to it's full potential.

1. Personal Preparedness

Having all of the supplies and know-how in the world does you no good if you can not secure your own personal safety during an event.

1.1 Pocket Safety Kit

I've been doing extensive research on Pocket Safety Kits.  In my opinion the purpose of the kits are to provide you with the tools necessary to get from an unexpected unsafe location to a safe location.

In my opinion pocket safety kits should include tools for rescue, navigation, light, fire, and survival (meaning tools for cutting, hunting/trapping, tethering, ...).  I also believe that there is no perfect pocket survival kit; that is a kit contain the bare minimums to survive in the jungle will be different than a kit designed for arctic, desert or even a metro environment. Therefore, I have decided for my personal well-being, I will have a metro/urban kit on my person (or very near) at all times, and another more robust outdoors survival kit in my car which suits my climate.

1.2 Bug Out Bags

A Bug Out Bag is the term used for a bag (usually a bookbag) that contains everything you need in the case that you have time to only grab one item and go.  It should contain enough food, water and supplies to last you at least 72 hours.  During that time you might be held up waiting for assistance (such as power to be restored to your house), or you are actively moving towards safety.  I want to emphasize this last point.  During a major disaster or event, it may not be wise to sit tight and wait for assistance.  I personally believe that the only person we can rely upon is our self.  If may be wiser for you to leave your shelter and seek refuge.

1.2.1 Home Bug Out Bags

1.2.2 Auto Bug Out Bags

1.2.3 Alternate Locations Bug Out Bags

By Alternate Locations I mean your place of employment or other location you spend significant time at on a regular basis

2.0 Make a Escape Plans

Make an escape plan to/from every important location in your life.  Your home, school, job, hospital, grocery store, Parent's house, Siblings houses, vacation home, out of state family.  Anywhere you think you might be when an event might occur and anywhere you might want to go to escape an event.  Include out-of-state contacts.  Have alternate routes in case some are blocked by hazards, and test your routes regularly.

2.1 Make a Evacuation Plans

Same deal, for any location you might be or want to be, ensure that you have a way out of any building, property or compound you might be in.  You never know when you'll have to exit the location for a fire, natural disaster or attack.  Again have alternate routes and test your routes regularly.

3.0 Learn First Aid

3.0.1 Build a First Aid Kit

4.0 Food, Water and Supply Procurement

Learn to procure food, water and supplies; as well as how to build rudimentary tools for doing so.

5.0 Personal Safety

Times of crisis or even times of extreme elation can cause dangerous situations.  A basketball team winning the Finals can cause riots.  Natural disasters can cause panic.  Economic failure of a country or government can insight violence.  These are very real events that can and have occurred.  It is your unalienable right to protect yourself and your family.

5.0.1 Arm Yourself

Whether you choose to purchase a firearm, Oleoresin Capsicum (pepper spray), and club/baton, bow and arrow, or any type of arms, do so.  Be sure to also stockpile any ammunition you may need, or learn to make it yourself.

5.0.1.1 Seek Professional Training

Just because you have a weapon doesn't mean that you know how to properly use it.  Seek professional training to learn how to safely and efficiently weld your weapons.  Reading a manual, watching, online videos, and toying around in the backyard is not the same as seeking proper training.

I have taken many weapons courses and it amazes me how inefficiently I welded a weapon (such as Oleoresin Capsicum) before taking a course, and how much more efficiently and accurate I have become afterwards.  Taking formal training also shows you potential weaknesses and fallacies of a weapon and a good course will even teach you weapon retention.  A false sense of security is the last thing you need in a stressful moment.

5.0.1.2 Take a Self-Defense Course

Learning to protect yourself with your bare hands is an invaluable skill to have.  You may not always have your arms with you while you are being attacked, or perhaps your arms have run out of ammunition or failed or even taken away from you.  Remember, your body is the greatest tool you own.  Learn to use it to protect yourself.

Knowing how to fight is one thing, but knowing how to end a fight is another.  I would suggest learning a combat art, which will teach you effective disabling techniques, rather than a discipline that teaches you how to square up and exchange blows with someone.  In a riot you do not want to fight everyone attacking you, you want to disable them as quickly as possible and move on.  If you can do that with fast punches and kicks, more power to you... I know I can't.

As a plug, I have been a student of Ju-jutsu (Japanese, not Brazilian) for many years now, and I feel more secure and confident walking down a dark alley than I ever have before.  It's a great feeling being empowered and I recommend that you seek out training.  If you are in the Chicagoland area, feel free to email me directly if you are interested in learning Ju-jutsu or any of the weapons I know (Oleoresin Capsicum, Baton, Ju-jo, Tanjo).

B: Get Involved

6.0 Join Your Local CERT

C: For the more extreme

7.0 Stockpile Supplies

8.0 Learn a Trade

Make yourself invaluable.  If you have skills or a trade that is unique and/or highly desired you ensure your safety and worth.