Saturday, September 18, 2010

A different order of things

A faithful reader sent the following in response to my WND column Preparedness 101 in which he changed the order of emphasis.  I thought it was well thought out.
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Dear Patrice,

You didn't SAY that you'd listed the seven concrete areas in order of priority, but people may interpret the list that way. Here's my list -- derived from yours -- and I want you to correct me if I'm wrong, because you know a hell of a lot more about this than I do:

0)   Knowledge
  Affects everything else.

1)   Heat/Water
  Without Water you will die in several days depending on how hot it is.
  Without Heat, you will try to make water by melting snow/ice with your body heat -- by eating it -- and die sooner.
  Your body needs Energy to function at all -- like digesting Food, making Heat, and keeping your brain working.  Using your body heat energy to melt water will rapidly use up your supply.

2)   Sanitation/Medical/Light
Loss of blood from catastrophic injury will kill you in a fewminutes/
hours if you don't know what to do, and/or don't have proper knowledge
supplies/equipment to do it with.
  Disease from unsanitary conditions will kill you directly, or indirectly by sapping your strength to do anything else.
  It's hard to treat catastrophic injuries in the dark without several hours of reliable, strong light.

3)   Food
  You can live for weeks/months without food  depending on what you've got for heat; but it's much harder, and grinding on morale. Affects everything else.

4)   Lighting
  Living without some level of light in the dark is harder, and grinding on morale. Affects everything else more or less.

5)   Safety
  Depending on your circumstances this could be number 1, or any subsequent number.  At some point will include Rules and Enforcement.

Cheers, and God Bless,

Bill

19 comments:

  1. Each list will vary depending on your area and current lifestyle.

    The basics of each are equally important and really cannot be listed in a priority way. Knowledge will do you little good without the resources to put it to use. Food does little good without security when it is taken from you.

    Prepping should really be done like an artist working on a sketch or painting. You try and fill in the main gaps here a little there a little until it is all finished to your satisfaction.

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  2. pioneer preppy is right...everyone has different priorities in getting ready for the whatever..but the most important in my prepping is having that list, checking it twice and not procrastinating on the important stuff.

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  3. love all these ideals makes us think on what we still need to do .all helping each other cheryl

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  4. Good words, everyone. And Bill's perspectives are well worth considering.

    A couple of things I'd add to his thoughts on heat/water would be
    (1: in a survival situation where hunger is an issue, always make certain you drink water before 'breaking your fast' as it were. Digestion requires a lot of moisture, and your already-depleted body could suffer significantly if the risk of dehydration is added to its stressful challenges.

    ..and (2: In a snow-bound or otherwise cold temperature survival situation, it's crucial to avoid getting overheated and breaking a sweat while working or walking. This can dampen your clothing, which, after you've cooled off, could lead to deadly hypothermia. In a situation like this, eating some snow or ice can actually help control your body temperature to avoid getting too hot.

    Well done, everyone. I agree with Cheryl.

    A. McSp

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  5. My touchpad is very sensitive, so I hope this is not a double post. If so, my apologies.

    1) FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY. Without these, what is the use of starting over?


    A.McSp - where you been, woman??

    Anonymous Patriot
    USA

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  6. *Shakes head disbelievingly* :-))

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  7. I would like to post a thought here...
    If you know you have a health condition that is going to need some attention sooner or later, get on it NOW. For example: I'm an ice cruncher/chomper and years of doing this has caused tiny fractures in some of my teeth. The dentist showed me the close up color pictures of these cracks on his monitor and I asked, "Maybe that is the normal anatomy of the tooth?" and he cracked up laughing and said, "Nice try!" I had several molars that were very sensitive to hot and cold and these needed crowns. I went home, thought about it, and concluded, "If I really think trouble is on the horizon, why would I procrastinate?" So I got my behind in that dentist chair and I've gotten 4 crowns knocked out.

    When I told the dentist I thought trouble was coming...shock...he agreed and told me about his preparedness plans, his munitions, his get out of Dodge cabin, etc. I think we would all be stunned if we realized just how many people are preparing for some rough times ahead.

    Again, if you have some health issues that need attention (dental work, silicone implant removal, weight loss, muscle strengthening, hemmorid removal, putting off that colonoscopy or mole removal) get it done!

    The nurse will now get off her soap box and go back in to retirement!

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  8. Been dealing with 'cyber-boo-boos.' My posts began disappearing and we've been unable to figure out the whys or wherefores. But with some determination, tinkering and browser changes, I think I'm back.
    I was keeping up with what was going on, but just unable to post. WAAAA! It was a lonely time!! lol

    Your point is well taken, A.P. I think our faith and strength to endure will never be more crucial than in a post bleep/fan world. Christ's '11th commandment' would take on a whole new aspect in that case, wouldn't it?

    A. McSp

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  9. save the canning jars is absolutely right..if you have health issues get them taken care of..and while you are at the grocer go ahead and grab a case of canned tomatoes, potatoes or whatever..and learn how to mend your clothing, sew on buttons, make those shoes last longer..and save those veg.seeds to plant next spring..learn about first aid techniques, collect rainwater, everyone needs to get their butts in gear and start doing for themselves while they have the opportunity-or they may find themselves "left behind".

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  10. Will you guys be terribly disappointed if a crunch doesn't come?

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  11. ROFLOL, Quedula.....

    Remember my motto: "WE'RE prepared to be WRONG. Are YOU?"

    Think it through.

    - Patrice

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  12. Yes I am Patrice; and I shall simply say to myself that I took a gamble and lost: but at least I spent my time & money creatively and not in the ignominious accumulation of a personal stockpile. I'm obviously more of a fatalist than you. Remember, "Our time on earth is but a shadow and there is none abiding".

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  13. quedela:

    "I shall simply say to myself that I took a gamble and lost..."

    Are you SURE you have finished all that GOD has planned for you? Is everything to you already set in concrete?

    Would you simply say: "Oh, that's it for me. I've no further purpose!"

    You quote scripture, but do you believe what you have read - in - it's - entirety? Have you not understood that everything written points the believer to ACTION?

    One must balance Free Will and Predestination.

    Limited fallible humans see them as opposites and the denominations go spouting forth conflicting doctrine and merrily excommunicate each other.

    Only GOD knows the end from the beginning and fatalism/determinism is often used as an excuse for inaction.

    Patrice and her Husband have their children to provide for. And no one can say what the future may hold for them.

    So, your life affects NO ONE? Your life is completely disconnected from EVERYONE?

    The last questions weren't rhetorical. Look in the mirror and seriously ask (and answer) them.

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  14. There is no point in talking "god" to me Miles. I don't have an invisible magic sky daddy. I'm an atheist.

    I can understand parents concern for their children's welfare but the whole "prepping" project is impractical. Suppose you have a 1 year old? How many years are you going to prep for, 21? How long are you assuming the crisis will last? Suppose every single American decided to prep? Now that WOULD produce a crisis

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  15. Ah I see now.

    It's not about preparation and preppers, it's about your walking with the adversary.

    In the wilderness, scripture was (incompletely) quoted in an attempt to disuade the man and turn him onto another path.

    You're not trying anything new.

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  16. Miles, I obviously made the mistake of inadvertently quoting from the bible, but you did mention god first :-))

    The point I was trying to make about "prepping" (not very well perhaps) is that there are far too many imponderables to allow a practicable plan to be drawn up. When will the crisis start? How long will it last? What form will it take? How will the government react?

    Have a few cans of baked beans in the cupboard by all means if it makes you feel good, but you guys seem to be making it a whole way of life. Isn't there the danger that, if you spend too much time worrying about something that might never happen, you forget to live now.

    "Only the present moment is real and available to us. The peace we desire is not in some distant future, but it is something we can realize in the present moment." ~ Thich Hahn

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  17. One thing I don't think you understand, Quedula - we're having the time of our life! Prepping is an endlessly fascinating study. While we have serious concerns about the future of our economy, we're having a ball trying to become less vulnerable and (incidentally) more "green." I mean, c'mon... a wheat field? What except prepping would have induced us to try growing wheat? This is great fun!

    - Patrice

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  18. OK Patrice. Fair enough. I'm with you on the "green", "yellow", whatever bit :)))

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  19. "Suppose every single American decided to prep? Now that WOULD produce a crisis" -- Seriously, I would prefer to see every American engaged in preparing for at least a long-term natural disaster. I think the Mormon's have it about right, you should have at least 1 year of preparations in place. There are many things that can cause you to need those preparations other than an outright collapse - loss of job, poor health or even death of a family member, hurricanes, tornado, snow storms, etc.

    1 year worth of supplies along with getting your "financial house" in order should be a responsible goal for every American. (One could argue what exactly the "financial house" component entails, but I would argue to at least be able to sustain yourself financially for the same period as your supplies and do all you can to cut out frivolous debt all-together.)

    If every American lived under these principles, then the "staged fright" the politicians project onto the people would have little to no effect, and the government would further lose control over the people as well as have no excuse to enslave half of the population with govt handouts. (Maybe that should be the whole population as those who receive are just as much enslaved as those who are extorted.)

    Besides, that is one less person competing for the supplies that I have had the foresight to put away. Which means my need to use force to protect those supplies would diminish as more people were prepared - theoretically. Additionally I would hope this would put MORE people in a position to provide CHARITY to those who did not prepare or did not prepare enough. I don't believe anyone here thinks surviving an outright stone-age is in the cards.

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