Doing!

Reading the internet, magazines and a book or two lately something struck me. Most of these things geared toward emergency planning talk about what stuff you need. You need so much water per day, you need so much food per day, you need this and you need that and we got the best thing you can ever need. Of course you want the best thing ever so you go and buy thing one.....

 But then you realize Thing 1 is not the best thing ever because your 'what if' is very specific!

Of course someone has the best thing ever, specifically made for your "What if Marvin the Martian really does try to take over the world?" And you have to have Thing 2 because Thing 2 fits your need!

Now you have Thing 1 and you have Thing 2 and now you do not have to think about any-thing!

But now that you have Thing 1 and now that you have Thing 2, have you ever tried to use either thing? Maybe Thing 2 is cheaply made and in your time of need is not the thing you need? But you have Thing 1 as back up and even if Thing 2 is cheaply made you have Thing 1 to take Thing 2's place. (and that as good as my Doctor Seuss gets!)

Have you ever used either thing? Prior to having to use or do something under the pressure of an emergency? Have you tried them? Having things is not enough! You have to DO!

Take fire, you need it to cook, for heat and to keep the darkness at bay. So you stuff a lighter in your bag and of course you have a bow drill set stashed in there also. Because if the lighter doesn't work you have redundency and somewhere you read redundancy is a good thing.

Some of you my not know this, it is a secret only us evil smokers know...... these things run out of gas! Either by use, being stored in a position the button is pressed down, letting the gas out or they just get old and the gas leaks. But if Thing 1 doesn't fit you have Thing 2 and you have watched enough TV you are sure you can use Thing 2. It looks easy enough on TV!

If you look at that picture and did not almost immediately know what you were looking at we have an issue. Having Things is great, not knowing how to use them is just dangerous....

Your fun hike with the family could easily turn into a very bad day. One missed turn or moment of distraction could lead to you and the family being lost. You suddenly could find yourself without cell phone reception and night closing in fast. When the lighter does not work, you realize you have never used the a bow drill.

 This not an option.........

Neither is this........

Especially when things like to creep up in the dark.............

We must practice things before we need to use things. Now you are saying "Well I do not have time to hike fifty pounds of gear into the woods just to practice! The kids have soccer, people are coming over to watch the Super Bowl and we have church on Sunday." Yes you do. We just have to look at practice differently..........

Take soccer practice, yes soccer practice, how much stuff do you haul to the practice field? I know on game day we seem to have to move a ton of stuff. There is the basics, kids, ball, cleats, water, sunscreen, shoes to wear other than cleats, jackets and oh yeah we got to get the kids dressed!

This is just the basics! Now if you want to do anything besides sit on the ground you have to have the intermediate kit. This includes a sun shade, chairs and maybe a cooler. Of course we haven't even factored in maintaining your fashion sense!!

Point here is think of this as practice for having to abandoning your house. What if you had to leave? How would you haul the stuff you need? What do you need? How long would you be able to maintain some level of normal and comfort? If you set up camp at the park because the kids teams play at different times, use the time to plan and work on 'What If's' in the back of your mind. Then take a look at the other people around you...........

Got people coming over for the big game? Ever tried cooking everything on the BBQ? You know how you plan to cook if the gas ever stops coming into the house? Give it a try this week end. (yes I started writing this before the big game) Maybe not everything but break out the Dutch oven and cook a thing or two you normally cook inside the house. Things do not work the same on the BBQ as in the kitchen!

Heck break out that flint and steel. Bring along the char cloth or Vaseline covered cotton balls, maybe even just use stuff in the backyard to start the BBQ? Now do not delay the BBQ till you figure this out. You might end up with some annoyed and hungry guest. Take five or ten minutes and try to start the fire the "hard" way. If after ten minutes put the tools away and break out the lighter fluid!!

You might find out these things are harder to use then you thought. Also you might see why cheaper on the wallet is not always the way to go........

Maybe use your fitbit to see how long it would take you to walk home. Practicing or training is anywhere and way you can. Can you really walk ten miles? How long does it take you to walk ten miles?

How heavy is your Bail Out Bag? Can you carry it further than just from the house to the car? What about your Get Home Bag all crammed full of Things Numbered One and Things Numbered Two, can you really shoulder it and carry it any distance worth discussing? Let us not even discuss Bug Out Bags at the moment...............

During an emergency is not the time to find out how Things work or to find out they do not work. There is a big difference from what you think you can do and what you can do. Needing to get to higher ground when the water is rising is not the time to find out you can not make it further than the distance between the fridge and the couch............ 

Do two things this week. When was the last time you started a fire without a match or lighter? Start one this week. Maybe it is the BBQ, fireplace or bonfire out back this weekend. Take a walk, do something physical. Maybe you just walk for a block or two. Instead of thinking of it as exercise think of it as learning about resources are located in your neighborhood. How many fruit trees are there? 

Find time to practice. Find time to prepare. Find time to gain knowledge and skills. Life is about learning and doing. If you are done learning and doing, well..............

As Always,

Stay Safe!