Which Way is the Wind Blowing?

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping. 

Summer is ending, schools are opening in many places, and before you know it Halloween decorations will be on display. With Fall rapidly approaching, change is on everyone's mind. 

Bag Up, Sack Up, and Be Ready

When I see non-preppers posting articles to their blogs that talk about building Bug Out Bags, I feel like it may be time to check my own gear because of the direction the winds of change are blowing. Relatively mainstream people are now waking up to the idea of being prepared for disasters of any kind. 

The part that is funny to me about the normalization of prepping -- odd funny, not "haha" funny -- is how many people once laughed at the idea of planning for a disaster when they heard I write at a prepping blog. However, just last week a man I've known for six years contacted me for information about gear and equipment and the companies who carry them. I was surprised that he even knew  they existed! 

All of you should know this info by now and could, with a little thought, make a similar list for a neighbor or a friend in no time at all. Please take the time to be a good example and reference source for family and those around you. With the fires here in the West and various storms hitting the rest of the country, I'm hoping this could be the chance to help a friend be set for a disaster.

Dealing With Protests

We're also heading into election season, and with that come protests and demonstrations. Don't worry, I won't get political here; I'm just pointing out that these kind of situations can get bad quickly. 

There are several books written by experienced folks who have either been law enforcement, been caught in riots or both, in the case of Greg Ellefritz. His blog, Active Response Training, has an amazing amount of information on a wide variety of topics, including getting out of riots. 

In his book Choose Adventure: Safe Travel in Dangerous Places, Greg wrote a chapter about being in South American disturbances. From reading the book, it seems to me that mobs and other large collections of people will act similarly no matter what nationality.

 

Here is an excerpt from the chapter titled "Surviving Third World Riots and Political Demonstrations":

"The more dangerous situations are the riots or mob violence situations that seem to pop up without warning.  The best advice I can give you is to pay attention to your surroundings and have an escape plan for every location you visit.  When you see things starting to go bad (massing police, masked looters, people setting fires), GET OUT!  Implement your escape plan. Don’t stick around and become a target for police batons, gangs of teen looters, or panicked crowds. Usually the people who get hurt or killed in these events are the people who aren’t paying attention or who want to stand around and be a spectator.

If you accidentally happen upon looters, rioters, or large political demonstrations, walk away by the most direct route possible that allows you to avoid the unpredictable crowd. Don’t run; that only draws unwanted attention from the rioting crowd. Just walk quickly, avoiding eye contact or any interaction with the rioters. As you walk, keep an eye out for places of sanctuary you may be able to use to escape the violence for a short period of time until the crowd passes.  Fighting against the crowd will be difficult. Think of crossing a river, it’s easier if you don’t fight the current. It’s the same way with crowds. If you get surrounded by a group, move with the group as you work your way to the edge of the crowd or to your pre-planned escape route or sanctuary location."

Do you see the part about "your pre-planned escape route"? This is the same thing as always knowing where the closest exit is when shopping, and having a designated rally point wherever you go. I've written about being in a building fire and not having supplies or a discussion about meeting up in an emergency with my friends. This is not the same as a riot, but planning a meeting spot is simple and is a good habit to start.

The truly important part about demonstrations in the USA is that there are news reports on who is holding it and where and when it us, usually several days to a week in advance. If you live anywhere close to a known demonstration zone like I do, then do like I do and tune the  radio to the local "all news station" and do your best to be nowhere close to those spots whenever demonstrations are planned.

Recap And Takeaway

• While it should be common sense to plan for a disaster, far too many people don't. Be a good example and share what you know.
• If you don't have a Bug Out Bag or Get Home Bag, put one together. Search the blog for "Bug Out Bags" or "Get Home Bags" and you will find many different versions and sizes.
• It's always best to have a plan that gets changed in the face of Reality, than to have no plan and let Reality bite you in the butt. 

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NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.