Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (51 page)

An upbeat, positive attitude can be a major asset in an emergency situation. In this case, “positive” doesn’t mean “irrationally cheerful” but rather a levelheaded calm with an optimistic spin.

That said, there’s room for a more aggressive stance, especially when trouble or danger looms. Of course, we’re not suggesting you go berserk on anyone, just noting that a dose of properly harnessed aggression can give you a wellspring of energy in a survival emergency. Get mad. Get mean. Let nature know that you’re not going to lie down and take it, you’re going to fight to stay alive.

Whether to stay put or bug out could be the toughest and most important decision you make in times of disaster. While much writing about survival focuses on bugging out, in reality many, if not most, situations are best ridden out in a secure, well-provisioned home or place of business. That said, sometimes things are so bad that hitting the road really is the best (or only) choice. How do you know what to do when things are scary? Here are a few things to consider when you’re trying to decide if it’s time to get out of Dodge.

Disasters and emergencies can bring out the best in people—and the worst. Whether you decide to stay put or to flee, you may well need to get some help from others. And others will ask you for assistance. Remember, there is strength in numbers, and you can get more done through cooperation than by going at it alone. But you don’t want to be a patsy. Here are a few basic guidelines.

SAY IT RIGHT
If you go to your neighbor asking for something during a crisis, you’ll probably be rebuffed. But if you go to her offering something, you’ll almost always have a warmer reception. Tell the neighbor who you are, that you’d like to help her. Tell her that you’re not in charge of anything but you’re asking everyone to rally at a certain time and place to discuss the crisis at hand. Get as many neighbors together as you can, and then let nature take its course. Leaders will emerge and plans will form—all because you were the catalyst.

HELP OTHERS, BUT GUARDEDLY
Even if you are the biggest prepper hoarder on Earth, you’re not going to have enough supplies to take care of everybody. Keep your own safety and security in mind as you help others. No one should know how much food, water, and supplies you have—or where they’re located. It’s outstanding that you want to help others, and you should. But remember that the person you helped today may be desperate tomorrow—and feeling justified as he or she is taking your stuff by force.

There are some skill sets that are useful almost anywhere, such as medical training, wilderness survival skills, and so forth (see item 263). However, you never know what other skills might come in handy. For example, if you’re dealing with an epidemic, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are obviously crucial. But what if you need to quarantine a group of children in order to keep them safe? A kindergarten teacher would be worth her weight in gold if you needed to keep the youngsters calm and under control. That guy whose hobby is home brewing? His basement full of booze would be a treasure trove of trade goods. The basic lesson here is that you’ll do well if you get to know your neighbors, and encourage everyone to share their skills and interests—whether they seem immediately relevant or not.

What would you do after bugging out? Take the time now to consider what it would take to build a base camp outside your home in the event that some emergency sent you packing. In addition to your normal BOB and its supplies, you can fill two plastic bins with these additional items to help you fulfill your needs while surviving in the outdoors.

SHELTER
A tent, a few tarps, and lots of thin rope will supply what you need for shelter construction.

WATER
One quart (1 l) of bleach and a large collapsible water carrier will create a camp water supply.

KITCHEN
A large cooking pot, metal spoons and bowls, and stored items like rice, beans, salt, and sugar are the basics for camp cooking.

HYGIENE
Antibacterial dish soap and three 1-gallon (4-l) tubs can be used for washing dishes and to help maintain the health and hygiene of the camp.

LATRINE
You’ll need toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and feminine hygiene products—for obvious reasons.

OTHER
Also consider the following: a battery-powered lantern with spare batteries, a first aid kit, a hatchet, a camp saw, a multitool, a sharpening stone, a radio with spare batteries, a flashlight or headlamp with—you guessed it—spare batteries, a camp shovel, one box of 1-gallon (4-l) zip-top bags, three lighters, several bars of soap, a manual can opener, kitchen knives and spoons, duct tape, trash bags, and a solar cell phone charger or battery backup.

A few extra tarps can serve as shelters, firewood coverings, rain ponchos, ground cloths, hammocks, and a host of other useful items. The more tarps you have, the better off your camp will be. The large trash bags in your gear list can also serve many functions. They can be used to create improvised rain gear and small tarps, and you can even fill them with leaves to make a DIY sleeping bag.

Perhaps the greatest use of these plastic panels is as a rain catch. Just a small amount of rain over a limited area can yield buckets of water. Hang up a tarp over your shelter, and you’ve also made a rain catch. Just set up the tarp on an angle, with a low spot on one side where the water will pour off. Set your bins and buckets under the lowest point of the tarp during the next rain shower.