Kaze Uta Budo Kai Forum Archive

With Hurricane Irene setting the east cost dead in her sights, we're seeing a lot of things. For only the third time in history, the casinos in Atlandtic City will close. People are being evacuated, some mandatory, others voluntary. Many of the civic leaders are advising people to be prepared to fend for themselves for at least 72 hours.

Hmmm.... where have I heard this before?

You need to have enough stuff to survive for 72 hours. Because, when the feces hits the rotary blades the emergency responders are going to have their hands full.

You also need to prepare for the worst. Food, water, shelter and body temperature regulation are big damn deals.

Bottled water is cheap. You need at least one gallon of water per person per day. Buy extra, it's cheap. Buy bulk containers, fill them, add a few drops of chlorine bleach and plop them in the closet. If the municipal water system is compromised (flooding, loss of electricity to drive the pumps, etc.) you're going to need water. Not just for drinking, cooking, cleaning, flushing the toilet, brushing your teeth... you get the idea.

Food is good too. Buy stuff you like, and rotate it on a regular basis. I'm a fan of freeze-dried backpacking meals (just add water, weighs next to nothing). But, make sure you have a way to cook it. If the power is out, that electric range is not going to cook your meal and neither is your microwave. Charcoal or gas grills, propane stoves, etc.

Light. Because nobody likes being in the dark. Candles, lanterns, and a good supply of matches or lighters.

Body core temperature regulation is a big deal. Hypothermia, and its counterpart hyperthermia, are killers. You must be able to regulate core body temperature or you will die. Period. Winter gives us blankets, sleeping bags and such. Summer requires less clothing, damp cotton, wrapping wet rags around your carotid arteries (I can hear the Judo players now).

Here's a little piece posted by Cody Lundin (the hippy guy from Discovery Channel's 'Dual Survival') and author of a couple of great books.

HI Campers,
I'm wishing the east coast the best in the face of hurricane Irene. Mother Nature is the boss. I have always stressed this fact. Those who have been through a situation where the elements rear their heads and cause destruction know this to be true. Others, cocky, indifferent or both, have yet to feel Her power. I myself have been through three tornadoes, two earthquakes, and many blizzards and ice storms. She is a great teacher of humility, centering oneself, and survival priorities.

Obama is calling Irene a "hurricane of historic proportions". We will see. Hopefully our nation will use this reminder to reconsider preparedness not just as a fringe thing to do for the ultra paranoid, but as a sane and necessary act of personal responsibility to oneself, their family, and community. Any chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Make sure that link is not you; and be prepared to come together for the benefit of all. Remember your survival priorities, stay safe, keep your head, and always remember to Party On! cody

Gang, go buy a couple of books on the subject. Read. Study. Question. Think. Plan. Prepare.

Not to be the evil right wing extremist in the room, but another consideration ..... wait a minuet, I am the evil right wing extremist in the room. But I digress, another consideration should be family protection. In a worst case cinerio what are you willing to do, and how do you intend to do so.

Oh, you evil right wing extremists! 😂


I think the first step is to have some sort of plan ahead of time. For example, you and your spouse are at work when... say an earthquake on the west coast, or maybe a tornado here in Oklahoma happens. Where do you meet? After all, buildings and schools have evacuation plans. When I was a kid, we knew in the event of a house fire to exit the window and meet at the big tree in the southwest corner of the yard. Yet, I suspect most people lack a plan for a simple fire evacuation like this -- how do you know if everyone is out of the house then?

It isn't as simple as a phone call folks. In the event of a catastrophe, the PSTN (public switched telephone network) will be clogged with everybody else trying to contact people. 911 will be overloaded. If you don't have a plan, you may be hosed. The phone companies have a thing called "oversubscription" they use. It's too costly for each person to have a dedicated line. But, in a ratio of 5-to-1, 10-to-1 or even more it's very cost effective. And, remember corporations work for the shareholder -- not the customer, not the public utilities commission. It's about the almighty dollar, and if they can squeeze a little extra they will. So, in a 10-to-1 oversubscription model there's one trunk line available for every 10 subscribers.

I have everything I need, so my place is the default for a rendezvous point. During the bad snow & ice storms a couple of years ago, my neighborhood was without power for 4 days. I wasn't inconvenienced at all. I still cooked hot meals on a Coleman stove. I still had light via lanterns, candles & flashlights. I had plenty of warmth, between sleeping bags, down comforters, quilts and blankets. I have a chainsaw to clear downed trees, unlike my neighbors who were blocked in by a tree across their driveway.

I know what I'm willing to do to defend my loved ones in the event of a crisis. I think it's an important question you need to ask yourself. Same goes for self-defense situations -- self and others, people you know and people you don't. How far are you willing to go? What concessions will you make? If you've already thought about it, the decision is easy. When the feces has impacted the rotary blades is not the time to be making these sort of decisions -- you are in a messed up state of mind if you haven't prepared for it.

The past two days have been pretty ugly for a lot of Oklahomans. Wildfires in the Oklahoma City area have led for mandatory evacuations of several square miles.

A knock on the door, and a couple of minutes to get your stuff together and go.

What do you take? Where is it?

This isn't paranoia -- it's happening now.

Car titles, insurance papers (because you just might have to file a loss claim), photos (memories and documentation), clothing, bank information. Think about a small, portable, fireproof safe. A lot of stuff can be stored in one of those. A backpack or a small suitcase with some clothing and a toiletries kit could provide several days of comfort.

In a crisis, not having to worry over small details because you planned ahead allows you to focus on the immediate tasks at hand.

Well said! Life as a jelly fish is idelic, until the tide throws you up on a beach. The people who tend to survive tipicly are the thinker - planer type. Often in an emergency, if you need to think through your options, you will find that decision has been made for you.