Be Prepared… With The Right Gear

Posted on 21 August 2009 by


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My cable was out earlier today for a time. Obviously that’s a big deal for someone like me. I felt exceptionally disconnected and not in a good way, like when I am on vacation. It got me thinking about how vulnerable we really are. For example our house has a septic and well rather than municipal services but both require electricity to run. So for us no power immediately means no water, no heat, and no facilities. (indoor at least.)

How prepared are we… really? Think about it for a second… if the power went off and stayed off and you couldn’t get out how long could you keep going on what is in your house RIGHT NOW?

It isn’t a pleasant thought but it is one we should all consider. Well my new (as of this morning!) favorite RSS feed The Best Article Every Day has a super post on… 8 Tools to Prep for The Apocalypse and it makes one thing abundantly clear… I shouldn’t have quit after the Cub Scouts because I’m NOT prepared.

The article makes some great points like having a gas powered generator and gas, a real first aid kit, a hand-powered generator and a water purifier. All great items that… I need to get.

I did, however, take issue with one aspect of the piece. These items aren’t just for an apocalypse they are right for any disruption of service that lasts over a few hours. With events like the tsunami and Katrina in recent years we all should be better prepared than ever.

Have other items you would recommend? Let us know. I’ve started my list. How about you?

This post was written by:

- who has written 2795 posts on Gear Diary.

Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. +Dan Cohen

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  • Joel McLaughlin

    A old school AM/FM Radio. If it has a crank that’s cool too.

    A battery to power/recharge cell phones.

    FOOD! A emergency supply of food that doesn’t require refrigeration is preferable.

    A tank for water (you can get gallon jugs or a reusable container).