The People's Democratic Republic of Insomnia

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Discussion Question

Given that hurricane season is starting up, let's talk about disaster preparedness.

If the shit was really hitting the fan (big storm a-comin', the nukes are flyin', the zombies are coming, whatever) and you had time to plan an orderly withdrawal, what would you take with you?

posted by Ted @ 10:41  

13 Comments:

  • At 15/6/09 13:47 , Blogger SSBD said...

    Well, four years ago I took next to nothing. Last year I took everything except the kitchen sink. I'm pretty sure the ideal is somewhere between the two.

    The cats, my fiance, photographs/scrapbooks, my quilt(s). The really irreplaceable stuff. Also financial documents, files, etc.

     

  • At 15/6/09 17:21 , Blogger KAISER ANDY I said...

    I agree with the idea that you take the stuff that's not replaceable if you can.
    I would need to load up all of my old heirloom handtools, but would say to hell with the TV.
    I would load you up too, Ted.

    A question for those of you who live in disaster-prone areas:
    Do you have your homes laid out in a fashion that allows for quick collection of most worthwhile property?

    I was wondering if the possibility of hurricanes is something that sticks in your conciousness, or if you wait until the Get Out moment to decide what stays and what goes.

     

  • At 16/6/09 18:53 , Blogger Ted said...

    My place is typically deployed for daily living. Hurricanes are an issue, but you get lots of forewarning and plenty of prep time. If I need to pack for withdrawal I can do it fairly quickly--a couple of hours, plus a few more to rig the house for impact.

    I certainly agree that I should be loaded in case of disaster.

    My bail list includes (in no particular order): a few days' change of clothes, toiletries, reading material, deck of cards, camping gear (including tent, sleeping gear, crank radio/flashlight, cooking gear, etc), cash in small denominations, handgun in large caliber, laptop and phone with car and wall chargers for both, assorted hard copies of important data (such as the homeowner's insurance contract), first aid kit, food, water, and gasoline. I also back up my computer to a portable hard drive before the trip, just in case.

     

  • At 17/6/09 03:31 , Blogger Richard Noggin said...

    Logic would say "Drop your c**ks & grab your socks" but the reality is your pictures should already be on Digital Media.
    Herr Doktor is right in backing up your Hard Drive and grabbing the Insurance Policies, which account numbers also should be recorded on digital media even though in a crisis a piece of paper speaks volumes.
    Don't forget the dogs and NEVER leave without all of the family.

     

  • At 17/6/09 13:30 , Blogger KAISER ANDY I said...

    My lupine friend, have you ever left a disaster? I thought you only caused them!

    I've had to get into the basement before for tornado warnings(which would be bad news now considering the number of very sharp chisels I have there), but never had to leave the house.
    I have had to make emergency beer runs.

     

  • At 17/6/09 16:06 , Blogger Ted said...

    Here's a link to a fairly comprehensive list of disaster supplies:

    http://www.fpri.org/pubs/EmergencyPreparedness.pdf

     

  • At 17/6/09 19:43 , Blogger KAISER ANDY I said...

    I realize that they tried to make a comprehensive list, but that's a lot of shit to do!

     

  • At 19/6/09 13:28 , Blogger KAISER ANDY I said...

    How about for a regular road trip?
    I haven't been on one for a while, but I bring a towel, blanket, some canned food, water, and a nudy-mag(don't deny yourself just because you're stuck in a long line of cars with the highway closed down), and this last trip to charlotte- an 18 of bud light.

     

  • At 21/6/09 21:58 , Blogger Ted said...

    For a typical road trip I bring a credit card and some CDs, plus the emergency gear that lives in my car. Half the fun of a road trip is foraging in truck stops.

     

  • At 22/6/09 14:29 , Blogger KAISER ANDY I said...

    I guess most of your travels don't include being stuck in the mountains for a day or two.

     

  • At 22/6/09 21:33 , Blogger Ted said...

    Typically not. If I'm going camping, the pack list is very different.

     

  • At 23/6/09 13:29 , Blogger KAISER ANDY I said...

    I was stuck on I-40 for six hours once when the rockslide covered the road, and have been in stuck a couple of times on I-26 for several hours, so I make sure that I have something to eat and drink.

     

  • At 23/6/09 14:43 , Blogger Ted said...

    I keep a book in my car at all times for similar reasons. Additionally, I am well-supplied with emergency calories at all times. You can never be too careful.

     

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