Here's the scenario, you've heard on the internet that somebody thinks the end of the world is coming and you don't want to overreact and stock up five years worth of food, or buy a gallon of .22 ammo every paycheck. But you figure it wouldn't be a bad idea to at least improve your disaster readiness.
what are some practical things to get so you can be sort of prepared for the unlikely end of civilization that might happen next month/year/decade?
Remember, you don't want to look like a hoarder, nut job, conspiracy theorist.
I think this little exercise could be educational as some folks will identify some really handy things to get. It could also be useful for real natural disaster situations (hurricanes?). And it's always handy for modern RPG settings where your PC should be a bit more prepared than real people.
Here's some stuff I've thought of (and why):
First Aid Bin
Get a big plastic, waterproof container. Put bandaids, wraps, guazes, wrist braces, straight sticks (paint stirrers), etc in it. Now you're set if somebody breaks something, gets cut, etc. For practical measure, now you'll be able to actually find all that stuff when you do need it, instead of having to hunt down that wrist brace you bough 5 years ago when somebody sprained their hand.
Gas Siphon Pumpy thing
I have a hunch you can't buy one of these, given it's more nefarious usage. But in a real end of civilization, situation (or a hurricane), you may need to get more gas from abandoned cars. I'm not fine with sucking on a carcinogenic hose to allegedly get some gas to come out. Get a pump, even if it's hand powered. Less mess.
Good mid-size Swiss Army knife
You don't need the one with 20 implements on it. The one with 8 is good enough (that's 4 things per side, 2x2). It's a nice size. keep it sharp. It'll have the basic pointy/prying bits you need to solve a lot of problems.
Small case of wrenches/screwdrivers
Most hardware stores sell a kit with a good variety of sockets and screw driver heads in one carrying case. Mine cost $40 about 20 years ago. Get it. You can fix a car, or disassemble/build something. It's not big.
2-3 boxes of "deadly" ammo for the guns you own
If you own zero guns, do the math, you need to buy zero ammo. If you own guns, they are useless without ammo. So make sure you own a few boxes per caliber. Don't go nuts. You'll use it on hunting or defending yourself in last resort, not fighting a war. I put "deadly" in there, so you get hollow points, and not wad cutters. this ammo is for getting as job done, not playing with.
A tarp of reasonable size and quality
You can make shelter with a tarp, haul a wounded person. They fold up small enough. Might as well own one and keep it on a shelf in the garage.
Rope/twine
You need rope to tie a tarp down, or bind off a wound, or climb up or down something. Rope is better, but twine will do in a pinch. Once you have one shopping bag's worth of twine (say from bales of hay if you live out that way), you've got enough.
Lighters
The ability to make fire is what separates us from the beasts. Bic lighters are cheap. Buy a pack. Keep them with your camping gear.
Food/Water?
I'm not big on stock piling food and water. It takes up space. it goes bad. The kind of food you can stock pile is not the kind of food I normally eat. My grocery store is close enough to drive to every day (and I do because I put maybe 6,000 miles per year on my truck). But it would probably be smart to have at least 2 days of food in the house. Just in case (as Hurricanes do take people out for a few days even in the best areas like mine). Buy stuff that doesn't need milk or butter.
Gas Grill with side burner w/spare propane tank
A lesson from my last hurricane with no power for 2 days and no gas appliances. Get a gas grill, even if you're a charcoal fan. Get one with a burner, they're only $150. Get a spare second tank, because if you use the grill regularly, Murphy's Law says it will be nearly empty when you really need it. Now you can cook food.
Candles
What did you think the lighters were for? It's nice to see at night. Assuming there's no need to hide from Zombies, a bit of light is helpful and more efficient than holding a lighter up to see the fine print on that stick of dynamite you're holding.
That's a few things on my mental checklist. I've got everything but the gas pumpysucky thing. I'm also curious if there's an effective water purification doohickey (like a straw). It's easy to store all this stuff if you own a house, and it effectively blends in with the kind of stuff a home owner would own without looking like a paranoid person.
Geiger counter and gas mask seem cool to have, but I hear masks on the market are ineffective and Geiger counters probably just tell you how dead you are by the time it starts clicking.
What other clever things are out there that are a pretty good idea to consider having?
what are some practical things to get so you can be sort of prepared for the unlikely end of civilization that might happen next month/year/decade?
Remember, you don't want to look like a hoarder, nut job, conspiracy theorist.
I think this little exercise could be educational as some folks will identify some really handy things to get. It could also be useful for real natural disaster situations (hurricanes?). And it's always handy for modern RPG settings where your PC should be a bit more prepared than real people.
Here's some stuff I've thought of (and why):
First Aid Bin
Get a big plastic, waterproof container. Put bandaids, wraps, guazes, wrist braces, straight sticks (paint stirrers), etc in it. Now you're set if somebody breaks something, gets cut, etc. For practical measure, now you'll be able to actually find all that stuff when you do need it, instead of having to hunt down that wrist brace you bough 5 years ago when somebody sprained their hand.
Gas Siphon Pumpy thing
I have a hunch you can't buy one of these, given it's more nefarious usage. But in a real end of civilization, situation (or a hurricane), you may need to get more gas from abandoned cars. I'm not fine with sucking on a carcinogenic hose to allegedly get some gas to come out. Get a pump, even if it's hand powered. Less mess.
Good mid-size Swiss Army knife
You don't need the one with 20 implements on it. The one with 8 is good enough (that's 4 things per side, 2x2). It's a nice size. keep it sharp. It'll have the basic pointy/prying bits you need to solve a lot of problems.
Small case of wrenches/screwdrivers
Most hardware stores sell a kit with a good variety of sockets and screw driver heads in one carrying case. Mine cost $40 about 20 years ago. Get it. You can fix a car, or disassemble/build something. It's not big.
2-3 boxes of "deadly" ammo for the guns you own
If you own zero guns, do the math, you need to buy zero ammo. If you own guns, they are useless without ammo. So make sure you own a few boxes per caliber. Don't go nuts. You'll use it on hunting or defending yourself in last resort, not fighting a war. I put "deadly" in there, so you get hollow points, and not wad cutters. this ammo is for getting as job done, not playing with.
A tarp of reasonable size and quality
You can make shelter with a tarp, haul a wounded person. They fold up small enough. Might as well own one and keep it on a shelf in the garage.
Rope/twine
You need rope to tie a tarp down, or bind off a wound, or climb up or down something. Rope is better, but twine will do in a pinch. Once you have one shopping bag's worth of twine (say from bales of hay if you live out that way), you've got enough.
Lighters
The ability to make fire is what separates us from the beasts. Bic lighters are cheap. Buy a pack. Keep them with your camping gear.
Food/Water?
I'm not big on stock piling food and water. It takes up space. it goes bad. The kind of food you can stock pile is not the kind of food I normally eat. My grocery store is close enough to drive to every day (and I do because I put maybe 6,000 miles per year on my truck). But it would probably be smart to have at least 2 days of food in the house. Just in case (as Hurricanes do take people out for a few days even in the best areas like mine). Buy stuff that doesn't need milk or butter.
Gas Grill with side burner w/spare propane tank
A lesson from my last hurricane with no power for 2 days and no gas appliances. Get a gas grill, even if you're a charcoal fan. Get one with a burner, they're only $150. Get a spare second tank, because if you use the grill regularly, Murphy's Law says it will be nearly empty when you really need it. Now you can cook food.
Candles
What did you think the lighters were for? It's nice to see at night. Assuming there's no need to hide from Zombies, a bit of light is helpful and more efficient than holding a lighter up to see the fine print on that stick of dynamite you're holding.
That's a few things on my mental checklist. I've got everything but the gas pumpysucky thing. I'm also curious if there's an effective water purification doohickey (like a straw). It's easy to store all this stuff if you own a house, and it effectively blends in with the kind of stuff a home owner would own without looking like a paranoid person.
Geiger counter and gas mask seem cool to have, but I hear masks on the market are ineffective and Geiger counters probably just tell you how dead you are by the time it starts clicking.
What other clever things are out there that are a pretty good idea to consider having?
