Sit up straight & pay attention

Ubi Libertas

1 year ago

What follows is distilled from a social-media post made by a guy who’s dealing with the aftermath of Helene — “on day four of an expected seven” without power, he says, 200 miles inland. Clearly, he’s a prepper, smart enough to be self-critical and generous enough to share his experiences.

General:

By day two, grocery stores had six-hour lines for empty shelves.
Fast-food restaurants had four-hour lines, and people just idled along, wasting gasoline.
Gas stations had shorter lines but ran out of fuel within 12 hours.
Many (if not most) businesses were cash-only. (No Internet meant no credit cards.) Some eventually were unable to make change.

Failures:

Forgot to make enough ice for coolers. Generator powers fridge with icemaker but can’t keep up with demand.
Didn’t stock up on oil for generator. Had only one quart on-hand.
Should’ve put gas grills inside garage before the storm hit. Both were damaged.
Had a backup LP tank but forgot to fill it.
Should’ve done laundry before the storm hit.
Didn’t have shelf-stable coffee creamer (packets).
Didn’t have paper plates and plastic utensils.

Successes:

Stored gasoline was fresh, thanks to periodically rotating supply.
Secured generator (against theft) with heavy chain and lock.
Dogs.
Strong relationships with neighbors, together deterring multiple potential threats of theft and looting.
Easy-prep food. Powdered milk.
Solar cell-phone charger, solar-powered weather radio, battery-operated fan.
Extra batteries.
Flashlights, candles, hurricane lamps.
Long-reach butane lighters.
Sun kettle. Cold-brew coffee canister.
Garden.
Chainsaw and supplies.
Inverter generator.
Long extension cords (three, could’ve used more).
Cash.

Didn’t need (this time):

Fresh water stored in barrels.
Firearms and ammunition.

When I say “watch and learn,” this is what I’m talking about.

I’ve seen dozens of firsthand and eyewitness accounts detailing how folks are managing in the wake of a natural disaster — in many cases, in the midst of a genuine catastrophe. Some are preppers, some aren’t. All offer information that we, the fortunate, can use.

It’s a free education that could save your life, People. Get with it.

On this brisk October morning, my Ontario RTAK-II got cordage — both knife and sheath.

Once again, I skipped fancy and went straight for function.

(For the record, I actually like fancy lanyards. I’ve made a few myself. And I have a couple of candidate knives that’ll be righteously adorned, once I get around to it.)

Digging through rocks with my hands yesterday did-in my oldest work gloves.