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| By Nilus Mattive |
A few weeks ago, with fires raging south of my house, I told you why it makes sense to have a “financial bugout bag” ready to go.
Now, as I write this, it’s pouring rain and parts of my county are under evacuation orders because of possible mudslides.
Which begs the question — why do so many people in the mainstream media consider it crazy to be prepared for worst-case scenarios?
If anything, the latest figures suggest making such preparations is becoming far more commonplace.
According to researchers, the number of people interested in survivalist topics has more than doubled since 2017 … spurred on by everything from the Covid pandemic to events like floods and wildfires.
As someone who values safety and contingency plans, I think that’s great.
We even received a great message from a reader who agrees:
“Touche Nilus!
You just went up a notch in my book! I have always tried to be prepared and even served on an Animal Disaster Preparedness organization in Southwest Florida in the ‘80s, setting a foundation for our county and beyond … speaking, promoting and sharing with the Florida state government.
You cover your topic very well. Bottomline, it's called RESPONSIBILITY.
Thank you,
Gary N.”
Thank you, Gary.
Of course, that’s not the first time I have discussed similar topics.
You should be prepared for market calamities using some of the hedging tactics I’ve discussed here before …
You should have that financial bugout bag ready to go …
And, yes, I think it makes sense to at least have a stash of physical items at your disposal that can help during an unexpected change in circumstances.
As someone who was in the World Trade Center when a plane hit it …
Experienced a major blackout in New York City …
Grew up in a Pennsylvania town that was wiped off the map by a 1972 flood …
And has now seen plenty of natural disasters over the last decade in California …
Let me tell you, the time to prepare is always now.
Survival Items I Keep Ready to Go Just in Case
From my perspective, it’s perfectly reasonable to have other supplies on hand … including some things that other folks might deride.
For example, what if I said it made sense to have some non-perishable foods stored for portability?
The minute you mention meals ready to eat or “MREs” to friends, you’re bound to get laughed at.
Until a wildfire … hurricane … earthquake … or other disaster strikes the neighborhood and grocery store shelves are emptied in no time flat.
Just to be clear, you don’t have to buy actual MREs. Though there are some pretty amazing articles and videos of people making gourmet dishes out of them.
There are plenty of choices out there — from regular backpacking meals to canned foods to a simple container of bulk oatmeal or rice. Even an assortment of energy bars will do.
You might end up never using the stuff.
That’s totally fine. I hope you never do!
From my perspective, it’s just another very affordable form of insurance.
For a small total investment, you’re ready for many different situations … even something as innocuous as a last-minute invite to go backpacking with friends.
Same thing with water.
Do you have a case or two of bottled H2O on hand right now?
If not, why not?
Think it’s a bit extreme or a waste of money?
It is, until the faucet stops working or something spills into the municipal source.
Worst case, as with bulk food items, you can drink down your supply and continually replace it if too much time is going by.
As an active outdoorsy-type person, I also have several other items that serve double duty and give me extra peace of mind … all of which I keep in one place together:
- A good knife — I almost always have a heavy-duty folding pocketknife on my person. You might also consider a fixed-blade survival knife to keep with the other items on this list.
- A basic compass — It feels nice to have one for the day when an iPhone app doesn’t work, and Google Maps is down.
- A portable water purifier — Great whether you’re camped out near a stream by choice or necessity.
- A small camp stove and fuel — Mine literally weighs three ounces, fits in a pocket and can boil a liter of water in less than four minutes. I also have a lightweight cooking set that works with the stove and includes a few plates and sporks.
- Sleeping bags — My daughter has used hers for sleepovers … I’ve used one in freezing conditions up in Lake Tahoe … and I would sure want one if I was ever evacuated to a shelter.
- Powerful, lightweight lanterns and batteries — Like my stove, they’re tiny … can run for long periods of time … and are still capable of brightening surprisingly large spaces.
- A battery-powered weather radio —it’s not only great for listening to surf forecasts, but also capable of picking up emergency radio transmissions.
- Plus, a first aid kit — I typically keep a pretty extensive one in my car, and it came in handy when I had to assist a surfer who had injured himself out in the water.
What about guns and ammo? I’ll just say it’s a personal choice that everyone needs to make for themselves.
Meanwhile, on my “to buy next” list is a small, portable solar panel that can quickly charge cellphones and other digital devices via USB cables.
It’s also reassuring to know that I have, say, a fishing pole and tackle.
Want to get a little farther afield?
It might make sense to have a spare can of gasoline.
The downside is that it can be a potential fire hazard if not stored properly. It can also go bad if left too long.
At the same time, you’ll always have a little extra fuel … for that moment when someone in the house forgot to fill up as my 17-year-old daughter recently did.
Speaking of which, we usually have two canisters of propane at the house. Great for the grills and the firepit, especially if the power goes out or the gas lines are disrupted.
I know I’m still just scratching the surface, especially if you’re already into this topic.
Heck, there are whole Internet forums devoted to what you should have on your actual person at all times. (The subject is known as “EDC,” or every-day carry, and includes items like knives, glass breakers and fire starters.)
My overall point is that it isn’t crazy to be a bit of a “prepper.”
You don’t need to build a bunker in your backyard.
Just assemble a storage container of items that you deem reasonable for a possible last-minute evacuation … and be sure to include some long shelf-life food and water that can tide your family over in a pinch.
It doesn’t take much time or money when things are calm.
And it’ll be absolutely invaluable should the unexpected ever hit your town.
Best wishes,
Nilus Mattive
P.S. Weather anomalies can create a chaotic time for anyone near. But market anomalies don’t have to be quite so chaotic.
In fact, my colleague and friend, Juan Villaverde, recent spotted one that could produce returns of 64x … 206x … even 245x. Check it out here.
