Survival Shorts

In the past, whenever I've thought of clothing for "bugging out" or survival situations I've automatically assumed I would wear pants.  Probably some kind of cargo or tactical pants, like some surplus camo or hunting pants.  They have obvious benefits, heavier duty pants won't fall apart, they protect your legs from the random scrapes and cuts, protect your legs from the environment, and usually have well placed pockets for carrying the multitude of survival supplies.  Overall, pants are a must have in your survival wardrobe.

However, today had me rethinking things a little bit.  It was f***ing hot out.  I was running some errands after work, wearing some khakis, and sweating my *** off.  That made me start thinking about how much "fun" it would be to hike around the island, heavy pack on, in pants and boots (yes, those are sarcastic quotation marks).  I'd be losing valuable electrolytes, uncomfortable, and probably developing blisters in all the wrong places.

So, that put a little kink in my mental survival scenarios.

That's what got me thinking about "survival shorts".  That doesn't mean abandon all pants, just that warm (HOT!) weather clothes don't seem to be discussed all that often in survival circles and so I thought I would bounce around a few ideas.  Wear the shorts, keep the pants in the pack, or vice versa as the situation dictates.  Something like swim trunks might be another good option, work in warm weather, work in the water, etc.  There are some serious benefits to shorts in a survival situation (in addition to having pants).

First, obviously they will allow your body to cool more efficiently in hot weather.  This helps avoid excess sweating (loss of precious fluids and electrolytes), the blistering, and the discomfort.  In hot weather, shorts would be a nice, if not essential, addition to preps.  In some climates you might hike all the time in pants, so shorts wouldn't be as essential, but in the southern months or warmer climates short could make a huge difference in your ability to cover distance.  And I don't know if you've ever tried swimming in pants but it isn't fun.

Secondly, in an emergency situation you probably don't want to be the guy or gal that stands out.  When you're "bugging out" of your neighborhood wearing your tactical pants, Alice pack, and chest rig might draw the wrong kind of attention (let alone firearms, but that's a whole other conversation).  Someone in shorts, t-shirt, and a hiking pack will raise a lot fewer eyebrows.  That might be the difference between  a successful bug out and a very abrupt, unsuccessful attempt.  Whether it's law enforcement or unfriendly neighbors, you want to get out of town without being stopped, so clothing should be something you keep in mind.  Some Suburban Rambo is going to pipe up "Yeah, but I'm so scary when I'm all geared up nobody is going to F with me!"  Well, that might be partly true but it seems to me that the better option is to avoid being noticed at all.  Either way, you should be thinking about how you look in your chosen survival clothing.

Ok, so having shorts is a good idea, what are some things to look for when picking our your "survival shorts".

(Hint: Not these)

Comfort, that might seem obvious, but keep in mind that you might be hiking in them for an extended period of time.  You really should test them out before deciding if they're the right ones for you, even a minor discomfort can turn into blisters really quickly, which would certainly hamper your movement (another overlooked piece of clothing is a good pair of compression shorts, good for avoiding those poorly located blisters).

Fabric, you want to find something light weight but durable.  I would avoid cotton because it takes a long time to dry (leading to blisters and discomfort), and doesn't wick sweat very well.  Blended fabrics, or technical fabrics with polyester and nylon are generally better choices.  They also tend to flex better, breath better, and less prone to wear and tear.

Pockets, find shorts with pockets that are a good size and arranged well for your uses.  Also, check how the pockets close.  Maybe you prefer velcro, or buttons, or zippers, but make sure that the pockets will keep your valuable secure.  I have one pair of really comfortable shorts that I love but every time I sit down my keys fall out.  In a survival situation you wouldn't want to lose your knife or something after a pit stop.

And finally, you want to consider the short's coverage.  I don't know if you're into hot pants or not, but those probably aren't the best choice.  I have a pair that cover my knees (thankfully, they are just short enough to not be "capri pants", wouldn't want to lose man points), which would probably be ideal for my situation.  If I need to do any kneeling than my knees are protected but they breath well and are cool enough for this Hawaiian heat.  I've seen some nice 5.11 shorts but they stop mid-thigh, which doesn't offer as much coverage as I'd like (or want to be seen in).

I've found a couple options online but you would probably have better luck at your local department store.  I think 5.11 has a pair of slacks that zip-off into shorts and back again.  Something like that might be an interesting option if they fit all the other criteria.  If you don't find anything at the store the easiest option would be to buy an extra set of your favorite "tactical pants" or some surplus military pants and cut them off at your desired length.  I've done that to a couple of older military issue BDUs and was pleased with the results.

How Freakin' Cool is the Biolite Stove?

Technology and camping are two topics that don't typically mix that much.  Occasionally you'll see some new upgrade to a fabric or tent design, but electrical engineering and the outdoors don't seem particularly compatible.  However, I saw a product on a survival forum that blew my mind and I had to share it.

The Biolite Camp Stove, $129

Biolite Camp Stove

This is a small stove that uses the heat generated in the stove to power an electric fan and generate electricity to charge electrical devices.  The fan pulls air in through the orange portion of the stove and into the main chamber, making the fire more efficient and generating power.

It charges through a standard USB port and will charge almost anything that uses a standard USB, smart phones, Ipads, etc.  Obviously, you would need to double check the manuals for the device and for the stove to make sure it's compatible before you plug it in, but it looks incredibly versatile.  For example, I have an emergency radio that could be charged with the stove in the field.

 It's small, light weight, and relatively inexpensive.

There are other options out there but they don't appear to be as versatile.  There are small solar panels and windup generators you could get, but according to the Biolite website this thing generates more electricity and faster (20 minutes of charging provide 60 minutes of talk time according to the website).  Plus, it will work day or night, cloudy skies or not.

It might not be the perfect solution but it certainly seems like an extremely cool.  It's definitely going on my wish list.

The Biolite Website

Gear Review: Dewalt Steel Toe Work Shoe

Currently, my job entails spending half my time behind a desk and the other half of the time doing fairly dirty, rough, slightly hazardous contractor work.  So, I needed a pair of "shoes" that could do double duty, not look out of place with slacks and a polo shirt, but also protect my feet when I get put to work (the other contractors I work with keep a second pair of "safety shoes" in their car, I wanted to find one pair that could do both duties).

I picked up a pair of these Dewalt Steel Toe Work Shoes at Sears for about $69 bucks, they are all black and gray except for a few reflective patches.  They aren't as pretty as dress shoes but they look way more professional than sneakers, and don't stand out in slacks.  They are also non-slip, steel toe, shoes so they were plenty are plenty of protection too.

Overall, I have been very impressed with how these shoes fit and hold up.  They fit like a combination between a sneaker and a hiking boot.  My feet have been comfortable, secure and protected in these Dewalt's.

I think these shoes might be the best of both worlds, comfort and protection.  They're comfortable, light, and yet provide more than adequate protection in most any condition.  Plus, these things have enough grip that I wouldn't feel unprepared wearing these on a hiking trail on slippery rock or mud (we've got plenty of both in Hawaii) and yet they look good enough that I wouldn't feel self conscious wearing them to the board room.  No other shoe I've found has offered that kind of versatility.

For the price and the wide variety of uses, these shoes (short boots, really) are very hard to beat.  Fit and feel like a sneaker with the protection of a boot.  Also, I happen to think they look pretty darn good too.  Seriously, the best of both worlds without a huge price tag!

Homeopathic remedies

So, this is kind of weird story and it's a little embarrassing but I learned something that I figured I would pass on.  Not one of my proudest posts, but maybe the topic will make up for the content.

At some point during my travels over the past couple months I picked up a particularly stubborn fungus.  We're all familiar with athlete's food, jock itch, swimmers ear... we've all had it before, it's usually not a big deal.  However, this was something different.

This weird fungus I picked up was very specific and especially resistant to treatment.  It was only on the pads of my fingers and absolutely nothing I tried even slowed it down.  Within a week or so every finger tip had at least some peeling skin and it was getting pretty bad in places.  I tried every over the counter cream and powder I could find.  That over the counter stuff?  Two weeks of nothing other than watching it make mince meat out of my hands.

Finally, I got so frustrated that I googled anti-fungal homeopathic remedies.  I have nothing against homeopathic but I usually try the over the counter stuff first (when that takes care of the problem, I usually don't have to move on to the homeopathic stuff).   This was such a weird case, I wasn't sure what would work and what would just make it worse.

The most common advice I found?  Soak in vinegar.  The vinegar is so aggressive that it kills most of the fungus and creates a hazardous environment for the rest.  I soaked each hand for about 30 minutes a night.

Holy **** did that work.  Three nights of soaking my hands in vinegar made a drastic improvement.  Immediately, I could tell that it stopped progressing and the damage started to heal.  Three days!  I kept it up another couple days to make sure it was all gone, but it certainly did the trick.

Modern medicine fail, natural medicine win.  One more reason to get a natural remedies book or two to add to the library.

Now, it most survival situations people will be wearing boots or shoes or socks (and underwear) for long periods of time, questionable hygiene, fungus will be a problem.  With how common vinegar is, keeping it in mind as a remedy might just keep you whole in the long run.

Airplane Survival Kit: Pics

After my last trip out of state I spent a lot of time thinking about making a better airline kit.  I haven't seen much information on the forums or on the sites about them, so I figured I would work on my own.

This is what the basic kit looks like.  The main bag is in my new Camelbak Mule 3L.  To the right is a good pair of walking shoes, to the left is a Columbia fleece jacket and a good Camo shell jacket to go over. I also made sure to bring good clothes, not pictured.  Clothes will vary a lot depending on what area you're going to, that's why I didn't put much emphasis on them here.  Also, one would hope that you bring appropriate clothing to begin with, whether or not you're building a kit.

Hat, gloves, two jackets, neck gator, pack above, Nalgene bottle...

Stainless steel bottle cup, extra pack strap, water purification drops, flashlight, extra batteries, Buck folder, Gerber multi-tool, 40ft of cordage, first aid kit (a simple one: neosporin, alcohol wipes, ibuprofin, asprin, antihistamines, gauze, bandages, good tape), duct tape x2 (without the tube they're the size of a AA battery), chapstick x2 (for lips and fire starting), emergency blanket, waterproof matches, Camelbak Tabs (electrolytes), flint and steel.  I didn't have a poncho, I need to add one or a small tarp for shelter building.  Also not shown, extra socks/underware, other clothes.

One of my discoveries that led to making this kit was the cool folding flint, steel, and magnesium fire starter I found at a local hiking store.  It folds and fits into a small pouch, it was fairly expensive ($30), but is very nice quality from a company in Alaska called Kodiak.  Folded and in the pouch it's not too big, about the size of my thumb.

The second discovery that led to this kit was a pre-made emergency kit by the same hiking store.  It's a simple emergency kit that they fit into a Nalgene bottle.  It was a decent but meant only for short term outdoor emergencies (granola bar, emergency blanket, first aid kit, gauze and tape, water purification drops, and 10ft of cord).  I thought this was such a cool idea that I picked one up and then modified it.

One of my biggest concerns with the Airline kit was how to package it and keep the different items from being damaged in my checked bags and not taking up too much space.  The Nalgene bottle was a really good idea, nearly all of the smaller items fit inside the bottle, with the cup fitting on the bottom.  The Camelbak tabs, first aid kit, knives and multi-tool were the only small items that didn't fit inside.  Then, I used my neck gator as packing at the top to keep everything from rattling around.

With the 3L bladder collapsed, and with the added bottle, that gives me an easily packed 4 liters of capacity. The clothes, shoes, and jackets I was already packing, so that's nothing extra.  I used the Camelbak Mule pack as a carry on along with my laptop bag, so overall this kit added very little to my pack out but added a lot of capability.

For those of you with travel plans, I hope this gives you some ideas.  Thoughts or suggestions always welcome, as usual.

Some thoughts on Guns and Caliber

Left to Right:  .22lr, 9mm, .38sp, .308

I was doing really good for a long time.  When I got into survivalism and prepping I did a lot of research and thinking and planning...  I decided to get a pistol and a rifle that could share the same ammunition, a common round, reliable and easy to work on. 

Eventually I decided on the Ruger Blackhawk Convertible, a revolver that shoots .38sp/.357 and can convert to 9mm, and a Rossi R92 lever action rifle in .38sp/.357.  (Note: I haven't been able to do a review of the Rossi because it broke the first day at the range, there will be a full post on that later on).  I figured that if things ever got so bad that I should get out to the woods for a while I'd have a nice rifle and pistol that shared and fired a good variety of common/cheap ammunition.

However, by the time I had my "survival gun" set up I'd already been bitten by the shooting bug.  Once you have the basics it's hard to stop there.  What if I want to go hunt bigger game or at a larger range?  I should probably get something a little heavier.  Or when you stumble over a super-cool gun at the store that would be a blast at the range (Henry Golden Boy .22lr).  

In recent times I've started to more closely examine the differences between calibers.  You can see the drastic difference between the ones that I shoot in that first photo. 

.22lr is a great round for the range, low recoil, nice accuracy at shorter distances, all around fun.  It's amazingly cheap, light, and you can put a thousand rounds in a pack without crippling yourself.  It doesn't hit very hard compared to most other rounds, but you could probably shoot 10 for the cost/weight of most other rounds.  Great in a short range rifle and is available in a lot of great pistols.

9mm is a great round for hand guns.  It's cheap, light, extremely common, and packs a decent punch.  Arguments have been made against 9mm stopping power but honestly, I think it comes down to what you're comfortable shooting. If you can shoot really well with a .40 or .45 than great, but for those who want lower recoil, faster handling, and usually a higher capacity, than 9mm is hardly a slouch.  As for stopping power, there are studies that show that usually a torso shot will stop a person pretty quickly, caliber doesn't seem to be as much of an issue as where it's placed.  Thus, shoot what you're comfortable with.  There are some 9mm rifles as well, good to pair with a 9mm pistol, but there aren't many options and they are somewhat uncommon.  The Thureon Defense rifle, Hi-Point, and AR-15 style Colt model 6450 in 9mm are some options.

.38sp/.357, I group these together because there is not a lot of difference between the two.  The .357 is a slightly longer version of the .38sp with a few more grains of powder behind it.  Almost all guns that can shoot .357 will also shoot .38sp.  It's got a little more kick than 9mm, it's common in revolvers and was THE round in police revolvers for decades.  It's slightly heavier, slightly more expensive than 9mm.  What I like about this round is the variety, between the different .38sp and .357 rounds it's pretty easy to find the round you're comfortable shooting.  The other benefit is how easy it is to find a good lever action rifle that shares the ammo.  Some rifle nerds poo-poo lever actions but they have been historically proven and remain a good general purpose rifle.

.308 is by far the largest round that I shoot.  This is a big round, kicks hard, and hits harder.  It's the most expensive round, the heaviest round, and also the most accurate at longer ranges.  The .308 is commonly used in long distance matches.  It's also used in most military sniper rifles.  When you just need to reach out and touch something... .308 is a good round to have available.  This is basically just a rifle round though, you'd be hard placed to find a pistol to use the same round (and probably wouldn't want to shoot it if you did), which would mean packing at least two different rounds with you.  Also, this isn't that much fun at the range, you put more than twenty rounds downrange and you're shoulder will be pissed for the next couple days.  Good for one-shot one-kill, but follow ups will be more painful than with other rounds.

One of the things that surprised me when I was shooting more often was the different effects of the different rounds on wood.  The targets I shoot are wood frames with a cardboard center, paper target stapled onto the cardboard.  9mm and .38sp when they missed the target and hit the wooden frame would have a small entry, big splintering exit.  The low speed entry meant that the bullets had time to expand in the wood before exiting.  When I hit the wood with .308 I thought it would be destroyed, blow the frame in half.  Yet the opposite was true.  Small entry, small exit, as though the bullet didn't even notice it had hit anything.  It just went straight through it.  Straight through two inches of wood at 100 yards?  That's penetration.

That's something to keep in mind when hunting, the expansion of the bullet when it hits something solid.  For short range hunting (or defense) a 9mm or .38 will work, it will hit, expand, and stop.  On a small target at shoerter ranges that should be enough, something bigger and it might expand too fast, not penetrate far enough.  For a larger animal .308 will pass through far more tissue before starting to expand.  With most animals I wouldn't be surprised if the .308 went straight through.  For larger animals that could easily be the difference between a wound and a kill shot.

The other thing to keep in mind is that pistol calibers in a longer barrel (like a rifle) will perform way better than out of a pistol.  The longer barrel gives a longer area for the explosive gasses to expand before the bullet leaves the barrel, that gives the bullet a lot more velocity and range.  A .357 in a pistol is a powerful pistol round, put it in a longer barrel and it starts to rival a rifle round for velocity and effectiveness.  Yet, the rifle recoil in a pistol caliber is significantly reduced from a rifle round (they're designed to be shot from a hand gun, there's more weight in a rifle, less felt recoil).  The .38sp in a lever is only slightly more recoil than a .22lr but the bullet hits a lot harder.  They won't be a match for .308 in accuracy or distance, but it gives some credence to sharing a round between a pistol and a long gun.

There are articles, graphs, and websites that will back up the information here and others that will totally disagree.  Feel free to peruse them and see if you can wade through the all various view points.  The information here is based on my own experiences and you might find that your's varies.  There is no substitute for personal experience and practice, so experience and practice as much as you can to find out what works best for you.

Hopefully some of these thoughts help you in choosing your calibers.

The Traveling Wrinkle

So, my recent travels have given me a few things to think about.  I mean, how much good does all your prepping do if you're thousands of miles away from them?  And what can you bring with you through airport security?  You can't even take fingernail clippers or lighters on the plane.

Survival tin: Survivalist Boards, Altoids Tin

There are all sorts of links online for survival tins, either premade or directions for making your own.   I'll probably be making a generic one in the future, to put in my checked bags.  I thought about making one for this trip, but didn't have time to put together a good one.  Plus, I don't know where to go, have no knowledge of the local wild life and fauna, so what would I put in one?

So, what do you do?

Here are a few of the ideas I came up with:

• Bring warm clothes and a decent rain jacket.  Maintaining body temp is a key to survival.  Hypothermia is a real risk in any climate if you get wet or have no protection from the elements.
• Pick up some water as soon as you land.  Obviously you can't bring much with you on the flight, but you can get a couple big bottles at almost any gas station.
• You can put a good knife, a first aid kit, and some cordage in your checked luggage.  You need to do some research on what the knife laws are where you are going, a Rambo survival knife might not be the smartest option.  I opted for a good little folder just to be on the safe side.
• You can pick up a few staple food items when you land.  Trail mix, jerky, etc.  Personally, I didn't get much because, like the water, I can't take much back with me.
• Pack good shoes and socks.  And maybe a foot care kit (tape, vaseline, moleskin, etc.)
• You can pack a couple lighters in your checked bags, or get a couple at a gas station.
• Cash.  Carry plenty of cash.  'Nuf said.

So, in a true survival situation you should have the basics covered.  Maintain core temperature, hydrate, first aid, start fires, and have a few food items.  It's not a BOB, it might not get you as far as your stock pile back home, but will hopefully be enough to get you through a short term survival scenario.


(Or you can be lucky like me and have a super-massive Sports Authority right next to the hotel.  It has a huge hunting section, I picked up a badass camo shell jacket today.  Score!)

Libby's VS Armour... Battle of the Vienna Sausage

Ever since SPAM vs Corned Beef it's been hard to come up with a food battle as good.  Everything else seems trivial in comparison...  Until now.  Vienna Sausage, what could be more important than finding the best Vienna Sausage brand?

The battle of the Vienna Sausages!!!!

Libby's ($.99) VS Armour ($1.09).  Two popular, cheap, brands of Vienna Suasage.  Both of these can be found by the case very inexpensively.  For how cheap they are, I'd be surprised if any prepper didn't have a few cases in their closet.  But which one should you be stocking?

Can you tell the difference by looks?  I couldn't.  For both, it looked like someone had cut up some hot dog pieces and put them in a can.  Nearly identical.

Nutritional Information:
Libby's
Serving size: 3 pieces, 2.5 servings per can
Calories: 130, Fat 110
Total fat: 5g, 18%
Cholesterol: 40mg, 13%
Sodium: 260mg, 11%
Total Carbs: 1g, 0%
Protien: 5g


Armour
Serving size: 3 pieces, 2.5 per can
Calories: 110, Fat 90 15%
Cholesterol: 45mg,  15%
Sodium: 490mg, 20%
Carb: 1g, 0%
Protien: 5g

Libby's had slightly more calories, Armour had slightly more sodium...  Overall, there wasn't a distinct difference when coming to values on the Nutritional Information.   Both were very, very similar.  Even the ingredients are nearly identical.


Taste test.
Raw:

(Doesn't that look wonderful?  The sacrifices I make for you people...)

There was very little to distinguish the two in the raw form.  Both were similar to uncooked hotdogs, though tasted slightly more like ham.  The textures were on the softer side, they kind of fell apart once bitten.  A hotdog is far more solid, these were much more processed-meat-shaped-into-cylinders than solid food.  The Armour might have been very slightly better, slightly saltier, slightly better texture, but not by very much.

(At least they look slightly better now)

Cooked:
Can you tell the difference cooked?  I think the only difference in looks is because the ones on the left were put into the pan while it was still heating up, the ones on the right were put in the heated pan after the first cooked.  Other than that, there was very little difference between the two.  (Libby's left, Armour right)

In short, they taste exactly the same cooked.  I mean, exactly the same.  Just warmer.  It was actually kind of disappointing.


Conclusions:
Yeah, I have to admit that this was a very anticlimactic battle.  I mean, they were very nearly identical.  The Armour might have had a very, very slight taste/texture advantage, but that was it.  And that might have just been my brain struggling to find a distinction.

Both were cheap, the same size, basically the same nutritional information, tastes almost exactly the same...  I'm not sure how to call this one.  Either would be a good addition to your stores and I think price would probably be the deciding factor as to which one to stock up on.

Tsunami Bug Out Pt 2

Alright, I'm going to go through the detailed plan/execution of my Tsunami bug out.

I previously mentioned how the tsunami bug out started.  It was basically a practice bug out to see how everything would work during a real bug out.  This post starts after I grabbed my BOB.

I planned on getting to the Pali Look Out.  It's one of the highest on the island that you can get to in a car.  If there weren't places at the Pali than I had two back up places to pull off the highway.  All those places have access to my favorite trail network, all were above the tsunami zone.  I was lucky to bug out earlier than most, and made it to the Look Out before it ran out of parking spaces.

Honestly, I figured the Pali would be full.  It was one of the highest places and I thought that most people leaving Honolulu would go there.  Luckily, that wasn't the case in this situation.  For me, the Pali was good for a multitude of reasons.  It was high, to get me away from tsunami waves, it had a clear view of the affected area, and it had direct access to the trail system that I planned on bugging out to.  The area is close to the mountains, good sources of water, and you can get away from more dense population areas.

These are a few things that I took note of during my "bug out":

• How few people bugged out to high ground.  I almost didn't, after all the false warnings we've had.  That Pali lookout is right above Honolulu, THE major population center, and yet it wasn't nearly as full as I thought it would be.  The actual parking lot was filled but there were still plenty of places along the road.
• How many people did not bring any supplies with them.  Out of all the people that made it to the Pali Look Out, I didn't see any that seemed remotely prepared for a large scale natural disaster.  There were families in their minivans, but few even thought to bring a sweat shirt or jacket (the Pali look out is one of the windiest places on the island and there were intermittent rains that night, lots of shivering people).  They would have survived the initial Tsunami, but few seemed prepared for anything more than an immediate emergency.  No extra food, water, or other supplies that I saw.
• How many people were drinking.  There were at least four groups I saw that were actively drinking in public during the emergency.  Having lived in Florida, through several hurricanes, I recognize this as something I call "The Jimmy Buffet Disaster Plan".  Drink as much as you can so that no matter what happens you're having a good time.  I hosted several "hurricane parties", so I am familiar with the concept (that was all before I started prepping).  
• Patience was a problem for most people.  The tsunami was predicted to hit at 22:38.  When nothing had happened by 23:00, a lot of people had already left the high ground.  It would have taken very little for the original prediction to be off, yet these people were already headed back into the danger zone.  I stayed at high ground for over an hour, which was still well within the "warning zone" of three hours, and yet when I left 2/3 of the people had already gone.  Our modern civilization has not prepared people for the patience necessary to survive a natural disaster.  These people waited an extremely short period of time and they could easily have been driving into a deadly tsunami wave.
• I realized I did not have any form of personal defense.  This being a short term natural disaster I didn't think it would be necessary, but after seeing that no one brought any supplies (and how many were drinking) I'm rethinking that.  (I bought some pepper spray and added that to my BOB, I think it's a better option than a gun for a short term bug out like a tsunami)

We were lucky that we had a three hour warning of this potential natural disaster, yet very few people responded to the threat.  I wouldn't have even known of the hazard if they hadn't used the air raid siren.  How good is prepping if you don't notice a warning or react when one is given?  A surprisingly few number of people left their homes for higher ground.  

I'm glad I decided to do this practice bug out, it gave me a lot of things to think about. 

Tsunami: Epic Bug-out Fail Pt 1

I'm going split this into two posts.  This one, the first, is kind of a lessons learned post.  The next will be more of an overall bug-out experience.

Alright, this post is going to be a bit more wordy than usual.

Last Saturday night, I was watching a movie and noticed this strange sound.  I muted the TV and the sound was still there, almost sounded like one of those old air raid sirens.  So I pulled out the laptop and checked the local news.  Turns out Hawaii was under a tsunami warning.

I went back to watching the movie.  The last three times we had a warning you could have stood in the surf and not noticed the 'tsunami' when it arrived.

Then I thought about it a little more and decided to "bug out" to high ground for two reasons; 1) it would be a good practice run, and 2) I can just see my obituary "Newbie Prepper Dies, Surrounded By His Supplies, Because He Stayed In The Tsunami Zone".  With that irony I'd never be able to rest in peace.

Lets just say that this was an eye opening experience for me.  Here is a list of the many thoughts, lessons, and issues that I came up with during my two hours "bugging out" in my car.

• I need to have a radio on or something as an early warning system.  If they hadn't rung the air siren I wouldn't have known we were in a 'Tsunami warning'.
• I need to keep my bags bug-out ready.  I thought they were until I actually went to bug out, that's when I went through a mental checklist of my BOB and started coming up short.   I have all of the essential items for my BOB but I'm constantly putting in new things, taking out others, repacking it... and then when I needed my bag I had to run around my apartment piecing it all back together.  Things I realized were missing: food, water, an emergency radio (waiting on dehydrated meals, canteens, and radio from Amazon), ax, sheath knife, and a tarp.
• There were a bunch of things in the BOB that I didn't need: a stove without fuel, empty water bottles, and bedding (I could just sleep in my car)
• In this situation, a BOB was kind of over kill.  I already have a GHB in the car, which already has most of the essentials, adding the BOB meant I had three or four of everything I might need.  I'm now thinking that I might need to put together some kind of 'intermediate' bag, something for short-term natural disaster preparation.  It could be a small bag with extra clothes, water, and food.  Kind of an add-on to the GHB.
• BOB accessibility is an issue.  I have too many smaller bags inside my BOB, makes finding an individual item a pain in the butt.  I'll need to figure out a better way of organizing it.
• I realized during this 'emergency' that there were a lot of things that I should have been keeping in my car all along.  I mean, I've got a GHB but I don't have a general vehicle emergency kit?  Flares, tools, jumper cables, a spare set of clothes, a good jacket, Fix-A-Flat, spare vehicle fluids, a couple gallons of water, hatchet, folding shovel... there are a lot of practical things that I should have been kept in my trunk.
• I was lucky that my car was gassed up.  At the first whiff of an emergency the gas stations were packed.  I'm not very good about keeping it full, it was purely luck that I filled the tank the day before.  I need to be better about that in the future.
• My cellphone, kindle, and laptop were all at half a battery.  At the very least, I need to get a car charger for my phone to keep it going in an emergency.
• I need to eat food more regularly.  I'm sure that sounds odd, but I usually only eat two big meals a day.  When I heard the siren I had just been trying to figure out what to do for dinner.  So, I need to eat more often during the day.  It's always better to start an emergency with a full belly.
• I had about $20 in my wallet.  I don't usually keep much cash on hand (I spend it), I need to pull out some cash and either keep it in my car or in my GHB/BOB for emergencies.
• A motorcycle might be a good idea for an urban Bug Out Vehicle.  I saw a lot of people on motorcycles and the flexibility of a motorcycle over a car or truck.  In a real emergency they could get through stopped traffic and park pretty much anywhere.  It would limit the amount of gear, I can fit a lot in my car, but it would be really nice to have that flexibility if I need it.  Food for thought.
• My BOB is pretty big.  That didn't seem like an issue when it was sitting in the corner, but walking around my apartment building?  I got a lot of funny looks, it was the opposite of subtle.  Looking like an idiot on the average day isn't that big of a deal, standing out during an emergency could be.  Nothing screams "I have lots of supplies" like an over flowing back pack. 

This was a pretty good example of how planning will only get you so far, you need to actually practice.  You can only plan for so much, reality always throws us curve balls.  I packed my BOB for any Bug out situation, for this mini-disaster scenario a lot of that stuff wasn't really needed.  Especially considering that I already had half of the stuff in the Get Home Bag.  

Overall, my biggest frustration was that I wasn't set up to step-up or step-down my bug out, it was either take too little or too much.  I definitely need to figure out how to add more flexibility to my bug out supplies, that way I can adjust to the situation quicker and easier.

I'm really glad that I decided to run this little practice bug out instead of going back to watching TV.  One of the last things I grabbed was a note book and some pens.  I took notes through pretty much every step of this bug out and I ended up with over two pages of issues, problems, ideas, and things to think about.

Laugh at my slapstick bug out all you like, I hope my embarrassing mistakes can help some others in their own disaster preparations.


Stay tuned for a follow up post about some more Tsunami adventures and thoughts.

Wise Company vs. Backpacker's Pantry

Time for another Food-Off!!  It might not be as exciting as SPAM vs Corned Beef, but this will hopefully be as informational.

I was at a local hiking store today and noticed a section of dehydrated food.  I'd been there a dozen times but never noticed the meals before because they were on the back of the back shelf.  Placement, people?

The two brands they carry are Wise Company and Backpacker's Pantry.  I'd never heard of these so I wasn't sure which one I should pick up.  Sounded like I needed some first hand experience...

I looked through the available selection and found that both brands offered a "lasagna".  To be able to compare them, I wanted the meals to be as similar as possible.  It wouldn't be very accurate to compare a beef stew vs a chicken parmesan.  So, I bought Wise Company "Cheesy Lasagna" ($6.75) and Backpacker's Pantry "Sicilian Lasagna" ($9.90).

Nutritional Information:
Wise Company

Serving Size 1/2 package
Calories 370, from Fat 160
Total Fat 17g
Sat Fat 5g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 1480mg
Total Carbohydrate 42g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugar 9g
Protein 16g


Backpacker's Pantry

(Sorry about the photo, I had problems getting focused on the white packaging) 

Serving Size 1 package
Calories 450, from Fat 120
Total Fat 13g
Sat Fat 6g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 1810
Total Carbohydrate 58g
Dietary Fiber 6g
Sugar 15g
Protein 25g


I think Wise Company won points on the Nutritional Information.  Not only was it cheaper, it had almost as much nutrition per serving but contained TWO servings per package.

Longevity?  The Wise Company has a manufactured date and a best by date, shelf life around 7 years.  The Backpacker's Pantry did not show a manufacture date and was stamped for an expiration in 2015.  I'm not sure when the BP was made, so I'm not exactly sure of a shelf life, but it's probably around 3-4 years.

I followed the directions on both packages (don't forget to pull the Oxygen Absorber out of the Wise before adding water).  As you can see, there isn't a whole lot to distinguish the two visually.  Neither looked like a "lasagna", both looked like noodles and paste.  Yummy.

Left is BP, right is Wise.

The BP was evenly mixed and absorbed.  The Wise came out with pockets of unmixed powder.  For both of these I ended up adding about half a cup of water after they "cooked", and mixed them again for a more even texture.

Neither were as good as your mom's, neither I would consider "good" food.  I managed to choke down about half of each, though I'm not sure I'd want to depend on eating a lot of these in the future outside of a survival situation (or maybe ultra-light hiking).  If I were starving these would be amazing, but sitting in my living room they were not particularly appetizing.

Taste:

BP, came out with a better texture and it was mixed better.  It looked like noodles with a slightly clumpy sauce.  It tasted like tomato with a little cheese and noodles.  Kind of bland actually.

WC, didn't mix as well, it came out with those pockets of unmixed powder.  It was also a bit 'crunchier', than the BP.  Take a bite, there would be a couple of crunchy, less hydrated pieces (I followed the instructions, but maybe letting it soak a little longer might have helped).  However, there were also lots of chunks of meat and it was very cheesy.  It was kind of like making macaroni and cheese with a couple chunks of sausage mixed in.  It was very salty, slightly crunchy, but over all fairly edible.


Conclusions:
Wise had a longer shelf life, it was cheaper, it had more calories per package, and it tasted better.  It's a simple decision, between these two package options the Wise Company was definitely the better one.  It required more mixing after "cooking", even then it did not re-hydrate as thoroughly (more crunchy), yet it was still the better option.

Maybe, if you're getting other meal selections the difference might not be so drastic.  However, it's pretty clear that for a "lasagna" entree, Wise Company is definitely better than Backpacker's Pantry.

Gear Review: Princeton Tec Blast

When I was first putting together my GHB and BOB, I tore my house apart looking for some good flash lights.  When I came up short, I realized I had a couple of LED lights in my bag of Diving Gear.  That's when I remembered I had two Princeton Tec Blasts that were perfect additions to my preps.

These lights run $10-14 depending on the seller.  They're designed for Scuba diving, they run on two AA batteries, they're bright and they're waterproof to 500ft.  There are a lot of LED flash lights in the same price range, these though are pretty special, cheap lights that are not cheaply made.

Over my years of diving I've bought several different models of Princeton Tec lights, from cheaper to more expensive.  Every light I've used has been well made, bright, and about half the price of most dive lights.  Specifically, I've had two of these small Blast lights for over two years as back ups when diving.  They've been abused, taken diving, loaned out to friends, dumped in the dive bag, never really maintained (unlike my more expensive dive lights), and yet they worked perfectly (still on the original batteries too) and looked almost brand new when I just pulled them out.

They're designed for use in salt water, one of the most corrosive environments available, and heavy pressure environments so they are incredibly durable.

For the quality and the price, these little lights are hard to beat.  You could toss them in a GHB or BOB, forget about them, and you can be confident that they'll work when you need them.  Definitely a good addition for the price.

Book Review: SAS Survival Guide

I've had some experience hiking and camping, but most of it was a long time ago, so I find myself having to relearn a lot.  As for disaster preparation and survival, I'm practically a beginner.  So, as any good student, the first thing I began looking for was the right text book.

I decided to start with the SAS Survival Guide, it was highly recommended on many different survival websites.  I picked it up for $8 on Amazon.  Short review?  I think that's probably the best $8 I've spent in a long time.

This is an extremely cool book.  I didn't realize it when I ordered it, but it's pocket sized.  Thankfully, it's size doesn't limit it's effectiveness, it's a veritable encyclopedia of survival information.  It's designed to be useful in the widest variety of situations, it has a lot of generalizations, so it doesn't replace information for specific environments, but it is overall a very useful guide.

It's got an edible plant guide.

Shelter building

Useful knot tying.

There is really too much in this little book to list it all here.  Morse code, signalling, survival strategies, and dozens of other important subjects.  It's like a whole season of Survivorman in one book (Les Stroud is the man!).

Let's just say I'm very impressed with this little book.  I sealed it in a ziploc bag and it's now a permanent addition to my BOB.

My Get Home Bag

It'd been a while since I'd gone through my GHB and I figured this was a good opportunity to do an in depth post on GHBs.  Being in Hawaii the contents of my bag are probably quite different than what people would need in other places.  Most of the basics would be the same; clothes, water, food, fire starters... but depending on the local climate there can be a lot of variation.  Keep in mind your own environment when making a GHB.

This is the kit that I keep in my car.  Pretty much everything fits in the Swiss Army day pack that I picked up at Ross for $20.  The the top and side, a fleece sweat shirt and pair of shoes.  This being Hawaii, I'm typically wearing shorts, t-shirt, and flip flops.  Those three things aren't any good in a disaster scenario.  That's why a sweat shirt and shoes (socks are in the bag) are so important here.

While temperature isn't a huge concern in Hawaii, hypothermia is still a concern if conditions are wet and windy.  Tropical storms, earthquakes, and flooding are all possibilities here.  That's why you'll see my 'get home' bag prioritizes rain clothes, water purification, and fire starting. 

Here's everything pulled out.  I'll go through the contents in detail.  

From the left side toward the center: the sweat shirt, adidas workout pants (light, packs tight, some protection from the elements), Columbia rain jacket , socks.

Here's the water supplies.  Three water bottles, two are kept full.  I've got the stainless steel bottle and the GSI cup (reviewed in an earlier post) for cooking and water purification.  I keep the Dasani bottle so I can use it for UV purification.  There's also the purification tablets to the left.  Just above the bottles are Camelbak Elixer tablets, they dissolve in water like alka seltzer, they taste pleasant and provide electrolytes.

These are fairly self explanatory.  Sunscreen, 550 cord, Gerber multi-tool, Gerber sheath knife, two LED flash lights, Leatherman folding knife, and a compass on top.

In the middle: boonie cap, work gloves, bandana, watch cap, scarf.  Food: couple nutri-grain bars, trail mix, jerkey.  Just below the shoes on the right side is my fire starting kit: two sets of matches, lighter, flint and steel, hand sanitizer (very flammable, just be careful because the flame it creates is almost invisible in day light), and the cotton ball/vaseline kits I previously posted about.

I go a little overboard when it comes to my first aid kit.  For purely "get home" purposes you could probably halve this kit and still have plenty to go.   However, because I keep this bag in my car all the time, I tend to use this kit for any and all day-to-day first aid needs.  That's why there is so much more in here than the bare minimum.  I can't tell you how many times I've pulled this out and used it.

Here's the contents from the top left: benedryl, anti-diarrhea meds, alcohol wipes, moleskin, medical tape, triple antibiotic neosporin, tums, tylenol, carmex, and a wide variety of bandaids.  The whole kit except for the medical tape fits in a pint sized Ziploc bag.

A few more things that weren't really in the pictures: emergency poncho, emergency blanket (I hopefully won't need those two, but they're small, light, and could be life savers), baby wipes, bug spray, goggles, dust mask, and ear plugs.

I think that's everything.

After reviewing the kit I swapped a few things out, added more cordage, extra batteries for the flash lights, underwear, and another pair of socks.

A GHB is a very personal thing, it's all about what you need and what you're comfortable with.  My pack is a pretty good example of "over kill", I have way more than the bare minimum and a lot redundancies.  As is, the size and weight are comfortable and I'm very confident with the contents.

Why "The Doomsday Preppers" Hurt Us

I almost hate to admit that I've watched this show and found it entertaining.  I hate admitting that because half of the entertainment value of this show is in watching people and their beliefs held up for "review".  Now, I haven't seen every episode, so I could have missed a few, but have you noticed that they never show the more rational preppers?  You know, the family that lives in tornado country and is preparing for a tornado?  Or the ones that live with the drought and are stocking up on water?  No, it's always the ones that believe the military industrial complex is going to forcefully take over.  Or it's the ones that believe the poor economy will collapse the government.  It's always the ones that have conspiracy theories.

Have you ever watched American Idol when they show all those people that didn't make it onto the show?  They were terrible, like two cats fighting in an alley, and you feel sorry for them, but you still laughed?  "Doomsday Preppers" is kind of like that.

One, I'm not interested in holding people up for public ridicule, no matter how strange their ideas might be (or how bad their singing).

Two, this show makes preppers look like the love children of conspiracy theorists and that crazy homeless guy wearing the sandwich board sign "The End is Coming!!"


Now, I'm not saying that all preppers are completely rational.  Preppers are this interesting cross section of society, there's a little bit of everything.  Sometimes though, it seems like the loudest voices are the ones with the most outlandish reasons for prepping.

It's impossible to go to a "survival board" or "prepper board" without finding a fairly thick streak of doomsday theorists (there are also quite a few Zombie Survival boards).  There are preppers that ramble about how the government is going to implement martial law, or sun spots might wipe out all electronics, or people need to protect themselves from evil corporations that run the world... there are a million different theories.  There are a million threads on the best rifles, or gun calibers, to survive when the SHTF (sh!t hits the fan).

The reason I have a problem with the show is that it makes the rest of us seem like fellow conspirators .  I have some supplies stocked, I am working on a BOB, I want to have some things ready for an emergency.  Does that mean I think Zombies will be coming for my brains soon?  No.  But if I went in to work and said "Hey, I got a cool new first aid kit for my bug out bag!"  I would probably get laughed at, whether or not having a first aid kit was actually a good idea.

You see what I mean?

The show and the theories make conversations about disaster and emergency preparation extremely difficult.  And some of those conspiracy theorists might have some good ideas about prepping and survival, but nobody is going to take them seriously.

Let's look at prepping another way.  What are those things that you pay for every month and hope to God that you never need to use it?  Oh yeah, insurance.  Health insurance, life insurance, renters insurance, car insurance...  Is it crazy or is it smart?  Does it give you some piece of mind to know that you have it if something bad happens?

Let's say you have hurricane insurance and a nice little hurricane comes along and turns your house into a pile of lincoln logs.  Is the Aflac bird going to fly in and drop off some MRE's and bottled water for you?  No.  If you're lucky some National Guardsmen will.  Do you want to be cold, hungry, and thirsty when they show up or would you rather be sitting around a campfire, boiling water for some spaghetti, and offer the Guardsmen a cup of coffee?

Insurance is a vitally important thing and something that is missed on a lot of the 'Survivalist' boards.  Consider it a long term 'prep', something that will help you back on your feet when things are hopefully getting back to normal.  Having some supplies set aside is just another form of insurance, something else that we hope we never have to use.  It's another kind of peace of mind.  I can't tell you how comforting it is to have that GHB in my trunk and my BOB in my closet.

You don't have to believe in the upcoming Aztec prophecies to think storing some food is a good idea.  Doomsday has nothing to do with it.  Focus on the 'preppers' part, to be prepared or preparing.  There's nothing wrong with that.

The First Line of Survival

There are a million different priorities that come to mind when someone thinks about a survival scenario:  food, water, shelter, first aid, etc.

One of the many things that most survival posts seem to miss, or not prioritize well, is physical fitness.  This doesn't sound like that big a deal, but there is a huge difference between a fit prepper and an unfit one.

The first big difference is how efficient your body is at utilizing nutrients and creating energy.  If you live a sedentary lifestyle than not only is there the mental challenge of survival but there is the physiological challenge. You're going to be more active, eating foods that you aren't necessarily used to, and you are going to be in shock mentally and physically.

There are a few simple exercises that you can do that will increase your potential for survival.  Walking is probably the biggest and the easiest.  In almost any scenario vehicles will be secondary to foot travel, if you aren't used to walking, your footwear, and your foot care than you are seriously in trouble.

Walking is a good exercise, 20-30 minutes a night will make a drastic increase in your physical ability.  It's good for you physically, mentally, and will definitely help if you need to be able to do some serious walking in the future.

Most of us have a fairly sedentary lifestyle.  We come to accept this because physical activity isn't exactly necessary in this modern world.  However, for thousands of years, physical activity was a necessary, daily activity.  In a survival situation, being physically ready will be almost as important as having supplies ready.

Can you walk 20 miles with your BOB?  Can you hike, climb, and run in a 40lb pack?  If the answer isn't a fast "yes" than you need to seriously consider more physical activity (or a much lighter pack).

It's not all that difficult, you don't need to hit the weights every day, going for a nightly walk will put you miles ahead of most average citizens.  Just think of the mental benefits, knowing that if you need to walk 20 miles you can.  Slowly add in some running, some climbing, swimming, and physical travel will seem like an average day to you.

If your schedule keeps you from a decent work out schedule, try and find some way to be active for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week.  This doesn't need to be anything fancy, jumping rope, jogging in place, walking, anything that keeps you moving for 30 minutes.  First off, your body will get used to using nutrients as fuel for exercise.  Remember, simple sugars are best for extended endurance events (long distance running, cardio level walking) but you have to get your body used to using those fuels DURING the exercise, not just before and after.  Carbohydrates for before and during, 1/3 carb to protein for recovery afterwards.

Also, you absolutely have to test your footwear thoroughly.  If you need to bug out, don't grab the brand new hiking boots, grab the beat up sneakers in the corner.  If you haven't put a hundred miles on them, worked out any problems, they aren't any good for survival.  A blister in new shoes might not seem like a big deal for a mile or two, but after 5-10 miles it becomes an immobilizing problem.  Practice good foot care, get used to treating foot problems, and your best mode of transportation will keep you going much, much further.

Endurance athletes and soldiers have a very disciplined approach to foot care.  They are constantly paying attention to "hot spots" or any other potential warning sign of any foot issues. They notice those little things and attend them early, dedicated practices like that will keep you moving when others fail.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Keep foot care kits in your bag, vaseline, moleskin, and athletic tape (or duct tape).  There are pre-made kits available at many websites.  The Zombie Runner version is my favorite.  There's so much there you could probably split this kit into two or three smaller kits and spread them out between your supplies.

http://www.zombierunner.com/store/categories/foot_care/kits/product2629.html

There are also a variety of foot care books on the market.  "Fixing Your Feet" is widely considered the 'bible' of foot care.  It has very in depth, practical, descriptions of problems and their solutions.  I have a copy and have used it as a reference for many situations.

Your fitness and your feet will keep you alive, they need as much, or more, attention than anything else you are currently researching.  Do you need binoculars in your BOB?  Maybe.  Do you need your heart, lungs, and feet to be in good condition?  Definitely.

Budget Prep of the Week

I was in Safeway a couple days ago and saw these in the discount Halloween section.  They are the flickering LEDs that look like a candle, usually put inside a jack-o-lantern when someone doesn't want to use a real candle.  Normally, I would never pick up something like this because they use really big button style batteries, not the variety that would normally be lying around the house.  However, each pack contained two LED candles and spare batteries for both of them for $2.50.

According to the packaging, each battery will last about 48 hours.  So, two lights and two spare batteries in one package should last around 192 hours.  Now, these aren't particularly bright and they flicker (they aren't as bright as a regular candle), you probably couldn't read by these, which is probably why they last so long.  But for a small, disposable, subdued light source that's not a bad deal.

I picked up two packages for five bucks, and put them in my Home Hurricane/Emergency Kit.  I have plenty of other light sources, including a lantern and the real candles that these are supposed to simulate, but five dollars for 384 hours of light is pretty cheap.

Plus, these interest the geek in me.  Looking at these I already am seeing how I might be able to modify them to make them more effective.  First would be just cutting off the plastic 'flame' to see how much more light I'd get. second would probably be trying to bypass the 'flicker' circuit so it will provide a steady glow.  Those changes might, however, adversely affect the battery life.  Or you could probably cover the 'flame' in red permanent market, make some convenient "night" lights, scatter those around a house or camp.

That's what's nice about discount electronics, you don't feel bad messing around with them.

 If I make any of those changes, I'll be sure to post an update.

Firearms and the Neighbors

If you ever visit a survivalist or prepper forum, one of the first and most prolific threads will probably be the "AR vs. AK" debate.  Let's just say that there are a lot of gun nuts in the prepper community.  In case you are unfamiliar with firearms, the AR-15 and AK-47 are semi-automatic rifles primarily designed for shooting people and are not as practical when used for anything else.

Now, I believe that firearms can be an important part of survival planning.  They're useful for hunting game and to keep yourself from becoming a victim in the craziness surrounding an emergency situation.  You could be planning and storing for years, then have it all taken away in an instant by the guy next door who's never prepped a day in his life but inherited a dusty revolver from his grandpa.

That's a possibility, to be sure.

But how likely is that?  Like everything else in life, raiding is a risk vs reward question.  For someone to wave a gun around and intimidate people out of their supplies would mean that there is little or no law (low risk) and they need those supplies (high reward).

So, for raiding to be a realistic concern there would basically have to be a collapse on a massive scale for an extended period of time.  People are starving and there isn't anyone to enforce the rule of law.  Probably 99.999% of emergency scenarios that's not going to happen.  If there's an earthquake or flooding than within a fairly short period of time there will be an emergency response from the Federal and State governments (most of the time, obviously things like hurricane "Katrina" were not handled well).  Most of the time there will be National Guardsmen and emergency workers there within 72 hours and they will be providing food and clean water.

That means a guy waving a gun to take your supplies can be arrested by guardsmen or police (high-medium risk) for supplies that are in excess to what is needed to simply survive (low reward).

That means that in most scenarios the "AR vs AK" debate is a moot point.  They can be used for hunting small to medium sized game but that's not what they were made for.  They use fairly small rounds, low recoil, with the intent to rapidly fire a lot of accurate shots at a short distance.  For them to be a 'practical' survival tool then they would be used against people, like they were designed.  Otherwise, having bolt action hunting rifle would be by far the smarter choice (and a lot cheaper).

That said, if the situation is so bad that raiding is happening, having a fire arm is a quick way to change the risk vs reward question.  A guy waves a gun at you and you pull out yours, suddenly taking your supplies is a high risk prospect.  Imagine you're starving, you break into a house, and hear someone in the darkness rack a shotgun.  You'd run like hell back the way you came.

That's something else to keep in mind, becoming a 'raider' is not something that most people would be able to do easily.  We're not wired that way.  We don't walk around hurting each other, on the contrary, we often times go out of our way to help each other.  So, after decades of working together, helping each other, it's not like something bad happens and we suddenly turn into homicidal maniacs.  Maybe you you have a closet, Mad-Max wannabe in your neighborhood, but the vast majority of us are average joe's just trying to get by.

Maybe you have a local gang that looks pretty shady.  When something bad happens are they going to grab some guns and immediately start taking over?  Or are they going to run home and check on their family?  Make sure their parents and siblings are ok?  They are people too and will react the way that most of the population does.

Emergencies don't lead to desperate measures, desperation leads to desperate measures.  Under normal circumstances that means that they guy breaking into your house probably has a 'desperate' need for money or drugs.  When there is some sort of the disaster it might mean that the guy breaking into your house has two starving kids he's trying to feed.  Keep that in mind and maybe offer him a few MREs before you bust out your AK.