Posts Tagged ‘Being ready for whatever comes next’

Getting ready Part 2: Items to consider in a readiness plan

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

One of the aspects of readiness that separates it from what most of us consider normal life is that it forces us to look at our priorities and reduce life to the several items that are really necessary for our everyday existence. While I argue that these several items are the only items one should really focus on once they are identified, I understand that not everyone is at the same point. As a result, that is where readiness planning comes in.

Almost every readiness plan consists of the same several items of consideration. I will present each of the items here as a general overview, and I will discuss each of the items later in detail and in discussions of the various aspects of readiness planning. Also, the order of the list of these items is my own priority set. Each planner must determine what priorities work for his or her individual plan.

Water

Lots of people have readiness plans, but I think too many people overlook how hard it may become to get potable water if modern water delivery systems fail. The general rule for readiness is that you there should be one gallon of water per person per day covered by the plan. Keep in mind that having this kind of water available probably means storing it and rotating it over time. Also, having the necessary tools to access, move, and purify water is a must for intermediate and long term readiness planning.

Fuel

Keeping extra fuel on hand can mean the difference between weathering a crisis well and not weathering it at all. While how much extra fuel should be kept on hand is a matter of significant debate, the fact remains that there should be some.

Communications

Cell phones are notoriously unreliable forms of communications during times of crisis and may become unusable if the crisis lasts long enough. Establishing reliable alternative forms of communication with the people involved in your readiness plan is essential for that plan to function.

Protection

No one really wants to think about it, but let’s face it: during a crisis the need to protect yourself and those involved in your plan may become very high. More than likely, especially if the crisis is widespread enough, the police and military will be delayed or unavailable to provide protection. Having sufficient means of protection on hand, knowing how to use those means, and having the ability to resupply those means are an integral part of any effective readiness plan. These means may also be help ensure there is enough food available for intermediate and long term planning.

Food

Many people will protest that food should be far higher in the list, maybe even at the top. I think that there is far more food available than most people realize, and unlike water, people can survive without adequate food for quite a long time before bad things start to happen. That said, having adequate plans for food is an essential part of readiness planning, even if it may not be the most important.

Power

Especially if a crisis is an enduring one, having the means to provide power is an essential consideration. Providing power when regular electricity delivery is not available can be one of the most expensive and time consuming parts of readiness planning, so how that power will be provided must be carefully considered and implemented.

Medical

If the crisis is intense enough, providing medical care for people participating in your plan may become a necessity. Providing such care is more complicated than just having medical supplies on hand. Someone has to know how to diagnose what needs done and use the supplies effectively.

Shelter

It is entirely possible that the crisis that activates your plan may involve the destruction of your shelter. Having a plan and the means to provide for shelter is then and essential part of readiness planning.

Mobility

It is entirely possible that your readiness plan may have to involve leaving where you start. The means by which that might occur can be highly variable, but they still must be carefully considered.

Caching

Along with having a cache of supplies where you live, maybe at work, and maybe in your main mode of transportation, you should also consider caching supplies other places.

I know this can be a daunting list, especially if someone is just at the beginning of their readiness plan, but these things must be considered in order for a plan to be effective and complete. I will discuss each of these items in detail in future posts and as part of future posts on planning.

DLH

Getting ready Part 1: Coming up with a readiness plan

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

From my point of view, if someone is ready for whatever comes next, then having a readiness plan isn’t really necessary because not much will change from times of normalcy to times of crisis. Unfortunately, most of us are far from being in that state of readiness, so having a plan is a necessity.

The most effective readiness plans consist of three basic parts: immediate readiness, intermediate readiness, and long term readiness. Each of these parts take different kinds of resources and planning in order to be effective. While I will discuss each type of readiness in this post only in generalities, I will discuss them in detail in future posts.

Immediate Readiness

Immediate readiness refers to being ready for sudden changes like power outages, natural disasters, or political upheaval. Such plans usually consist of ensuring that someone has the basic resources to weather such a change for periods ranging from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the change. Immediate readiness plans tend to be specific to the kinds of changes the planner might expect to experience. generally, most immediate readiness plans involve preparing for a few days.

Intermediate Readiness

Intermediate readiness refers to being ready for changes that last longer than just a few days or weeks. Intermediate changes can last from months to years depending on the change and may require planning for relocation to places distant from the change. Intermediate readiness planning often involves establishing fall-back points, supply caches, and identifying people with whom to share such a plan.

Long Term Readiness

Long term readiness really refers to preparing for the changes to be permanent in some fashion. Long term readiness planning should be the guiding force behind all other forms of planning and should help the planners transition from a lifestyle that is not ready to one that is.

Over the next weeks and months, I will discuss aspects of each element of these kinds of plans in more detail.

DLH

Being prepared for whatever comes next

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

For many people, hearing about readiness evokes images of a small cache of bottled water and energy bars in the basement or of wild-eyed survivalists in western states hunkered down in caves with a year’s supply of dried foods. While both images have some elements of what readiness might entail, they both miss the fundamental point of what being prepared is really all about.

From my point of view, readiness is about living the kind of life and lifestyle that means, even if the power goes out or you can’t buy gas or the government is no longer around to help, you can go on doing what you were doing before with few or any modifications.

Of course, most people have a far different view of readiness. They think of readiness as being able to weather some kind of abnormal time until things return to normal. But, what if things don’t return to normal? We all like to believe that such catastrophic events cannot happen, yet history shows us that they can and do with surprising regularity.

I already know that my view of readiness means significant changes in life and lifestyle for most people, so the goal of this weblog is not to be just another source for hardcore survivalist mumbo jumbo that most people will have no use for. Instead, it is my goal to present practical and actionable steps that people can take to be ready.

In doing so, it is my hope that, along the way, more people will see the things I have come to see about modern society and readiness and will be willing to make the changes they need to make to be truly ready. The payoff for all of us will be that we will be able to weather future storms on our own terms and will be able to help other people weather them too.

Are you prepared for whatever comes next? If not, let’s get ready together.

DLH