Self-defense starts with hand washing. In that simple
statement lies one of the basic truths of life. If you are not willing
to wash your hands often then you are not really worried or prepared
for life to take a turn for the worse. I am taking a turn from my
normal rants and raves to try and help you be ready for things that
can happen to you in an instant, and sadly most people are not ready
for it. How is this pertinent to Conflict Management you may ask?
Simply put, conflict isn’t always about people at odds with one
another, it can often be about doing what you can to control your
circumstances.
In today’s world there are situations that arise
whether it is political, social or environmental that can cause a
major disruption in day to day existence. From coupe attempts to
hurricanes our system is so dependent on convenience and the
government that the majority of us are not ready to manage our lives
for a few short days without an almost total breakdown of society.
Look at New Orleans after Katrina or the effects of major snow storms
in the Northeast U.S. Power outages, fuel, food, water shortages, are
you ready if something occurs that you have no control over?
If you are not then please read on, is you are then
this may just be a way to see something that you have forgotten or did
not think about. Please feel free to take notes or add to the list of
things that I miss.
Five Gallon buckets are a life saver! What the hell
are you talking about, you may be asking and if you give me a moment I
will explain. You can purchase five gallon buckets at almost any
Walmart or home supply store. They are cheap, versatile and store
easily. I like to buy one or two at a time and the fill them with
necessities. Take the bucket, place in the center a 1 lbs. can of
coffee or box of tea. Around it you can then put a 5 lbs. bag of
beans, rice, cornbread mix, and salt/pepper. beef jerky, peanut
butter, etc. List on the outside of the bucket what is inside and you
now have a readily transportable supply of basic food. Do this with
whatever you think that you will need for seven days without basic
services. Medicine, first aid supplies, cooking implements, water
purifiers, blankets, you will be amazed at what you can store into
five gallon buckets. Just be sure that you can load and unload them in
a vehicle quickly, you don’t want to be trying to evacuate an area
quickly and find out that you can’t load your supplies because they
are too heavy. Don’t forget cleaning and sanitation supplies as well.
Most people in an emergency don’t have time to grab them but to
prevent contamination and disease this is a must. I like simple
bleach, clean rags, hand sanitizer and wet wipes. Don’t forget that
depending on your area you may need to also put bug repellant and
insecticide into the kit as well. I have been using pine sol as a bug
repellent in the back yard this summer and it has been working great,
plus it’s a dual purpose product, so that is a plus.
Remember you are only trying to maintain and control
as much of the situation as possible. It’s not about luxury but
mobility and survival. Have a tool kit already in place in your
vehicle, plus depending on your area and the weather conditions of
your local area place a few heavy work tools in your trunk. A snow
shovel in South Texas may not be the best choice but in Ohio it would.
I carry a shovel, small hand axe, crow bar and a couple of large
hammers in my Suburban just in case I need them for some reason. Plus
several cans of tire inflator and a portable air compressor for flats.
If you take time to set your vehicle up beforehand, then you have
already cut your evacuation rate time down and when every minute
counts seconds matter.
Remember folks this is not by any means a survival
guide, there are hundreds of people teaching survival and emergency
response if you are really interested. If asked my advice about whose
work I would use as my go to source I would recommend fellow
contributor Toby Cowern at Tread Lightly, Dave Canterbury at
Pathfinder Survival, and the Military Field Manuals available online
and at most good gun/survival stores. Also please as a part of you
Conflict training go and get your CPR and basic first aid training at
your local Red Cross, and practice them on a regular basis. Again when
every minute counts, seconds matter.