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| Author: Posted: Nov. 17, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 3,843,982 |
Question of the Week: 101 - 3/3/2003 Have You Made Any Extra Security Preparations? Faced with the potential threats of terrorism and/or war, many governments have asked their citizenry to ‘be prepared’. Have you stocked up on any items? Do you have a first aid kit? How’s your plastic to duct tape ratio? Should you ever have to vacate your home and you could only take ten (10) items with you, what would these items be? If you are trained in outdoor survival skills, medical emergencies or in other related areas, what advice can you share with us on how to be prepared in case the unthinkable does come to pass? What ten things do you think everyone should have on hand? |
| Reponses: There are 85 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| My Ten Things | Mar 4th. at 3:00:33 pm EST |
| Starchilde (Wisconsin) | Age: 20 - Email |
|
would have to be a sharp knife, an axe, a knife sharpener kit, my .22 marlin, bullets, a good blanket, water purification tablets, a good pair of socks, a waterproof windproof lighter, and duct tape. Why? the knife would come in handy for all sorts of stuff, the axe for chopping firewood, the knife sharpener for when the axe and knife eventually went dull (actual random stones just dont work as well) my .22 and bullets for protection and food, blanket for warmth and if its a good tight weave it can be used to make shelter, the water tablets so i can have potable water, since you never know what has been dumped into a stream or lake, the socks, well, nothing is worse than having a pair of wet socks, the lighter for fires and light, and, yes, duct tape, it really does come in handy. Now, i dont suggest to everyone to go out and buy these things because not everyone is going to find these handy if living in the wild. if you don't know how to shoot, or never even handled a gun, do us all a favor and don't go out and buy one unless you go through hunters safety. I just happen to have been around them since I was little and taught how to use one when I was of age. If you happen to get caught in the woods, don't assume that anything is edible unless you have been trained to know what is and isn't, people whom I have been walking in the woods with have tried to pick some strange and poisonous things, sometimes mistaking it for an edible plant that was of the same genus. I have grown up in the woods, and have been taught some survival skills. Remember, books work, especially if they have illustrations showing how this and that is done. Well thats what i would take if i was told to vacate my home, but i doubt if it will come to that, even if there is war. |
| Procautions & Provisions | Mar 4th. at 2:52:40 pm EST |
| Vi WitchHazel (PHOENIX, AZ) | Age: 32 - Email |
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I haven't actually stored or prepared anything yet, but I am this week. *Food items that are easy to store and prepare, *Changes of clothing already in a bag or near the bag. *In ZipLocks keep identification and important papers. *Plenty of dry & canned catfood. *Medicine & vitamins & a few sentimental personal items. *And as many candles as my husband will allow. By the way, I wrote a poem for peace in the sand while visiting the Pacific Ocean this past weekend. I would like to share it: Grant us Protection from Man and Best From Dangers Great and Small As we Raise our Voices... Sing! "No Harm, No Harm, No Harm to All" And if this overrides the freewill of one man or two Know we only meant for good and true. As we have said so let it be done, no curse upon us and harm to none. So Mote It Be. WitchHazel Phoenix, AZ |
| Defeat... | Mar 4th. at 2:40:39 pm EST |
| Maggie Caldwell (MI) | Age: 20 - Email |
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I cannot bring myself to prepare for a threat of terrorism. If this is the type of world that we are living in, and myself and my family are going to be struck with nuclear weapons, then so be it. I would prefer to live each day as though it truly counted and die in a week than cower in my duck tape haven breathing through gas masks and live a year. |
| Learning From The Movies | Mar 4th. at 1:56:10 pm EST |
| Anjie (North Dakota) | Age: 20 - Email |
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My younger brother and I talked about this once, though, it was more along the lines of: "what would you want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?" I should also note that we had just finished watching "Cast Away", and that that is how we got on the topic. We made a list of things Tom Hanks' character did wrong, and what we would do to prevent ourselves from making the same mistakes. We ended up deciding that we should absolutely always always carry a pocket knife, just in case we were ever stranded. We determined that we should at least make sure we knew a decent ammount about survival in the wilds. I'd found a good book on this, but i can't remember the title for the life of me. I do remember though that it was bound very securely in textured rubber, so that you could take it with you and not worry about it getting mangled. Very interesting stuff. Also, my brother and I decided that we should have a water-proof, rust proof case of water-proof matches. We found these both at Target. |
| I Am Sick And Tired Of All Your Duck Tape Bashing. | Mar 4th. at 1:21:46 pm EST |
| Ryan W (lino lakes MN) | Age: 18 - Email |
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The thing I would want the most is Duck tape. If you have ever read the Duck tape books you know what I am talking about. I don’t think that it will stop a chemical attack but it is extremely useful nun the less. First off if you fold it along the short side than brad 3 strips together you can make a rope that can hold a 210-pound person off the ground (I have dun this so I know) . You can also waterproof anything, from your pants to a roof to a bag. For that mater you can make a bag or a case or even a backpack (again I have dun this so I know) . Admittedly you need a LOT of Duck tape but it is still very useful. As for the other things I would want a nice machete, 2 knives, 1 big axe and 2 small ones, a Dutch oven, a rope saw, flint and steel and finally a good friend. Everything ells I could find, make or hunt. I don’t see a need to rush out and buy all of that (mostly because I have it all anyway) . I live on a farm with lots of area and I could make it to Canada if I needed to. If you want to see a good (or at least a) movie about surviving a war rent Red Dawn. It isn’t realistic but it dose have people surviving in the wild. Ryan W |
| No Prep | Mar 4th. at 12:12:09 pm EST |
| KatRivers (Kentucky) | Age: 38 - Email |
|
Well, I think that war is, of course, a distinct possibility. Still, I believe that the Bush administration is using scare tactics on Americans just to get us to eventually support his damn war, drilling in the ANWAR, etc. Before you know it, we'll be completely ignoring color-signal warnings because we'll have grown oblivious to them or supposed dangerous situations (I think they're a stupid idea, BTW) . So, no; I've done no security preparations. Remember years ago when the shooter stood in the middle of traffic in Virginia and shot at communters as they sat in their cars -- I forget the particulars. Anyway, I find that sort of thing a far scarier potentiality than attack by missiles, invasion, etc. katrivers |
| Thought Provoking | Mar 4th. at 11:50:28 am EST |
| Amanda (Silver Spring, MD) | Age: 23 - Email |
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I didn't really think much about preparing for terror. I mean, I live right outside DC. Wouldn't I be one of the first to go anyway? And then I got to thinking, there aren't ICBM's coming our way (most likely) . If they're attacks similar to the Sept. 11th ones, then they'll be devestating but they might not destroy everything in one shot. I could have a chance of survival and I'd like to do just that. With those thoughts in mind, here's my list of what I'm going to keep in my car from now on, just in case. First aid kit water dried foods (rice, beans, spices, etc.) guide to local plants blankets a knife wash line rope, fishing line, and butcher's twine candles matches in a plastic bag and if I were really worried and wanted to plan for the super long term, seed packets and little garden tools As for the 10 things I'd take from my home, I think it's carry-on only. In that case, I'd take: Dog Dog stuff As many clothes as I can put on my body (esp. socks, I understand they're important) A book my boyfriend gave me knife soap matches in a plastic bag important papers (also in plastic) plant guide (can you tell I'd be raiding my car?) rope of some sort Except maybe one or two of those important papers, or the clothes, I don't really have anything to barter with, and that kinda sucks. |
| The End Of The World Panic | Mar 4th. at 9:16:30 am EST |
| Fathom (pittsburgh) | Age: 24 - Email |
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Well I can say I actually prepared more for y2k than this panic button issue. I have not done anything to prepare, and I probably won't. I am afraid that our country likes to distract with panic and hypothosis when more important issues are at hand. scare tactics to prevent us from fighting against this war is not new. as for my 10 things: a few photos of the family My survivalist and medicinal herbs books The knives and camp cooking set A heavy duty rucksack my solar flashlight My carhart jumpsuit (winter bites here) Some tradeable items water cleaner tablets A big plastic tarp my childhood blanket As for my husband I have no clue but I would have to make a backpack for my little dog and he's easy to list for. snasages, rawhide bone, fleece sweater, stuffed doggie and dog boots. after that he's just happy to be with us. |
| My Thoughts. | Mar 4th. at 8:52:20 am EST |
| Andromeda (Miami, Florida) | Age: 15 - Email |
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I haven't thought to gte a first aid kit or any other supplies, but this is hurricane country, so once summer hits my family will be stocked up anyhow. No reason to start now. Honestly, with Turkey Point so close, I probably wouldn't survive an attack. I wouldn't even know I was dying, so why panic now? I'd rather use my time to finish everything that's left to be done. There's too much to do, but we might as well try. The plastic is just hilarious. They don't even recommend duct tape on windows for hurricanes down here, let alone for some terrorist attack. I don't have any survival skills, just the basics you learn for a hurricane: don't go into water in case there's an electrical wire, don't drink anything without decontaminating it, try not to leave your house, keep your gas tank full, etc. Plain common sense. It's always best to keep enough supplies to last at least a week alone. Narrowing it down to ten items, it would be: 1. Half a dozen matchboxes 2. Book listing edible/medicinal plants 3. Hunting/fishing supplies 4. Water purification tablets 5. Prescription medicines 6. First aid kit 7. Changes of clothes 8. Rope At least I would think that's neccesary. No battery operated things for me, because pretty soon batteries die and they're hard to keep around. I especially don't want a radio. It would be too disheartening to find the rest of the world dying, too. But, aside from that, there's way more than ten items I would want to take with me. But if I had to narrow it: 1. My dog, Silky 2. Small altar statues 3. Cuddles. He's the first stuffed animal my boyfriend gave me, so he has a lot of sentimental value. 4. Blanket my late grandmother gave me 5. Oxford Encyclopedia on Ancient Egypt 6. Mists of Avalon 7. A set of basic math, science, and english texts in case all other books are eradicated 8. My old journals 9. Evenstar pendant 10. Photo album |
| Didn't Even Think Of It! | Mar 4th. at 7:02:54 am EST |
| jade (canada) | Age: 16 - Email |
|
well, i am not prepared for war, but since this whole thing is getting a little serious maybe i should think of it. nahhh, what's the point. if you live close to a city that was nuked, duct tape and plastic over your doors and windows is not going to save you! neither is anything else! i can't say what i would bring with me if i was forced to leave my house, because i don't intend on doing so. once again, what's the point. you'll get to out live somebody for a few days, but you might just end up dead anyway. wnat to be save, freeze and go up north, wayyy up north! thinak snow all the time. all i know is if there is a war, i want to be some place peaceful. |
| What I Would Take... | Mar 4th. at 6:46:03 am EST |
| SilverShadow (Australia) | Age: 14 - Email |
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Yes I do know it's America not Australia that is being threatened but anyhow Australia is a possible target so ya gotta be prepared... 1.My pillow of course (it's purple!) 2.A teddy bear I've had since I was 7 which is completely wrecked but it has alot of meaning to it. 3.My BOS which is only about a quarter full with nothing in particular. 4&5.My pentacle and ankh necklaces (if I'm not already wearing them) 6.A piece of amethyst 7.My Mechanical Animals cd 8.Purple eyeshadow 9.My purple nailpolish 10.My dreamcatcher (yep-purple!) Yay! I have crap worth saving... |
| Just My Opinion | Mar 4th. at 1:52:50 am EST |
| Brandon (Georgia) | Age: 17 - Email |
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Just remember, this is only my opinion, but here is the list that I would have in case of a true emergancy type situation, especially in the case of war. I am prepared for this, in my own ways, but I have always been prepared, just in case the worst happens. I am not sure where it came from, but I love the saying Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I think that every home should have some sort of first aid kit, and mine is no exception. 10.Quality machete, military issue preferably. A good quality machete can be used not only as a means of chopping, but also the lower parts of the blade can be kept sharp for use as a regular knife, also the blade can be used for digging and in the case of war, it would be a possible defensive fall back. 9. flint and steel kit a good means of starting a fire, with the proper use it can last for years and doesnt have to worry about many things like you do with matches/lighters 8. my BOS I keep all my records on this, I couldnt part with it, as far as that goes I would probably leave the rest of the list and a finger or two behind if need be to be able ot grab it. 7.a good knife plain and simple, a blade is one of humankinds tools, its also one of if not the most useful in almost any situation 6.solar powered radio self explanitory, got to keep up with whats happening 5.book on local edible/medicinal plants and/or book on survival skills explains itsself, got to eat and got to keep healthy no matter what happens. 4.water purification tablets everyone needs to have these around just in case, they can come in handy in many circumstances 3.good strong cord I think that for most things that you would need a good roll of 60 pound test fishing line would work just fine, and it can come in handy for many things in emergancy circumstances. 2.my stuffed dog I have had this thing since I was 1, I keep it put away but it has real meaning to me, it was about the only thing I ever got from my mom really, and I love that old thing to death, I know a 17 year old guy with a stuffed animal may seem weird, but ahh well, its one of the things I would make sure to grab 1. my photo album got to keep up with the memorys, all of them |
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