I've never made any secret of the fact that I'm a prepper; Certainly not here on hive anyway. In real life I tend to keep it to myself as people seem not to comprehend what it means and label preppers as kooks, crack-pots and loonies. I'm none of those, but choose not to draw attention to myself at the best of times so I largely remain quite about the fact I'm prepared.
[Prepared: Ready to do or deal with something.]
I'm prepared for many things and enjoy a heightened feeling of confidence because of it. Do I have tunnels under my house, a bunker, spider holes, twelve years worth of baked beans and 50,000 rounds of ammunition tucked away? You'll never know.
Do I have first aid skills, a fire evacuation plan, situational awareness when in public, the ability to defend myself, wilderness survival and off-road driving skills, the ability to shoot, hunt, fish, trap and navigate, make ammunition and so on? You bet I do. Like I said, it gives me a nice feeling of competence and I can tell you also that Faith feels it to - I'm handy to have a round I suppose and she feels safer because of it.
I've built these skills over many years, it doesn't just happen. One is always learning too, there's simply so much to know but I'm passionate about it and being prepared has become somewhat of a hobby.
I'll be honest though, I'm often critical of people who fail to prepare or fail to take responsibility for themselves, families and community that surround them. It's irresponsible in my estimation, extremely irresponsible.
Yesterday in Australia two parents were driving in a car with their four children. The car left the road and landed upside down in a dam, only about one metre from the edge of the water. The parents exited and managed to get two of the four children out; The other two drowned to death, pretty horridly I'd say.
Crash investigators are citing driver-fatigue as the cause of the crash and the parents have said they had trouble getting the doors open to save their two children.
I can't begin to imagine the guilt those two parents will carry for the rest of their lives, or the grief they must be feeling right at this moment. Simply tragic...But a tragedy that could quite easily have been averted with a simple $20 purchase, and some preparation.
The images above and below show one of my Res-Q-Me car escape tools; I say one of, because I have several. This small, and very cheap tool, could have saved those children's lives and the family from a lifetime of grief and guilt.
When a vehicle is upside down and a person has their weight loaded onto a fastened seat belt the belt is almost impossible to un-latch. In an emergency situation this becomes a problem. This is where the tool comes in...See the blade? Pull that diagonally across a seat belt and it will slice apart releasing the person. Press the black part on the end to the corner of a window and press and the window shatters...Simple in design and simple in use.
One of these in that car, on their key ring, could have saved those children.
Being prepared isn't just about stockpiling weapons and ammunition; Being prepared is about mitigating risks that may strike us on a daily basis.
Things like what?: A child drowning in a back yard swimming pool, a savage bump on the head, a cut, spider or snake bite, a broken limb, fire in the house at night, coming across a car crash, an elderly person falling in the street or a pedestrian getting hit by a push-bike courier...There's literally thousands of everyday things that could happen requiring a level of preparedness, and some swift and decisive action.
It can't happen to you? Won't happen? Maybe the family in the car yesterday also thought the same thing.
I never expect people to have the level of readiness I have, it takes years as I said earlier...But if you're a parent do you know basic resuscitation and first aid, have a fire blanket and extinguisher in the home, plus an evacuation plan. Do you have a go bag, a plan around violent home invasion or coming home to find a thief in the house? Do you have good situational awareness in public, know where the exits are at the mall, lock your vehicle doors when you get in, have first aid kits in your vehicle's...Do you have a Re-Q-Me tool? Do you?
If not...Ask yourself, are you being the best parent you can be? Not a parent? Ok, the same still applies.
I don't judge that unfortunate couple above, I just pity them. With just a small degree of effort they could have been a little more prepared for the situation they faced...We all can. Maybe I shouldn't do so, but I see most people as victims of their own ignorance and carelessness and failure to take responsibility and ownership.
I know it's difficult to know where to start but with so many online resources it's a simple matter of doing some googling which will start the process buy giving you some hints about what you may need for your particular situation. You don't have to of course, maybe, just maybe, someone like me will be there in the advent of you finding yourself in an emergency situation.
If you want to see the Res-Q-Me in action in a YouTube video click here.
Become a prepper...It might save your life, or someone else's.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
Discord: galenkp#9209