Bugging Out. A Practical Application for "Doomsday"

With all the hoopla surrounding the Mayan calendar and looming doomsday, I thought it time to get into the act. Recently while skimming through the TV guide, I noticed a program on the History channel that caught my eye. It's called the Prophets of Doom, maybe you've seen it. Anyways, what this program was about was worse case doomsday scenarios and how those occurrences will disrupt everyday life for the average American citizen. What I found to be the most interesting aspect of the show was the dramatized, family, scenario scenes, which they showed in conjunction to the Prophets of Doom predictions and conversations. For example- one scientist believes that there will be an economic downfall, like the energy crisis of the early 1970's but on a global scale, which could bring about the end of life as we know it. So..., after he explained his vision, history channel went one step further and played out this scientist's visions as he sees them happening, and then showed what impact that would have on a typical American family of three. In the event of a global economical collapse, paper money would become a wash. It's value sums up to zero, and instead becomes a means to help start fires or even replace toilet paper. Furthermore, in the family scenario scene the featured family, naturally, had not planned on an event such as this, and thus lost everything.

But did they???

In the scenario, you see how the family pools together it's resources and uses the most common household items as means of currency. In a global economical collapse, a quart size bag of dry navy beans could fetch up to $10's worth of gold or silver. Copper wiring from TV's and old radios, or gold cables found inside the home owner's ancient, personal computer could potentially buy that family some extra water, or bins and storage units to house the water in. The currency of the day became the currency of the past, through the barter & trade system. What do you have in your possession that someone else might want? That's the bases of the barter system. In the mass chaos that followed such an economic downfall; scavengers, thieves and burglars looted big items like TV's, electronic systems, and jewelry. But what the scenario showed it's viewing audience was that ordinary perpetrators don't take the time to look for your old worn computer systems hiding your hall closet, or bothering taking any broken radios you have stashed in the garage, or copper tubing that might be connected to your water heater unit. Blankets, bedding, and sturdy boots will also be tradable items. During World War II, a pair of sturdy boots in the right size, was an item that was vividly on well-over a million different peoples mind. I read a book once titled, "Stealing Home" when I was in Junior High. It was a story of a young Jewish girl, who had survived the Holocuast. Over and over in her book, she writes about how her father had the foresight to see that the family, probably never be returning to their home, and that what they carried on their backs, was now their sole possessions. As a young teenager at the time, naturally she didn't fully understand why her father made the entire family put on heavy winter clothing that day; including her scarf, coat and winter boots. At first you can sense her complaining to her readers about her father, and how it was entirely way too hot that day to be wearing all that gear. But her father stuck to his guns, and said to her, "One day soon you will thank me." I gathered from what I was reading that she was stripped from her home by the German SS, on a hot, midsummer's day in September. She claims her boots saved her life, and being from a state that has winters, very cold winters- I believe her. In the book she writes about how grown men and women, and even children were dying from infections, which started as blisters on their feet, or a result of frost bite. She wrote how she had to march to Poland from where she live, and that when they started marching it was hot, but soon turned to cold. She writes how the men went one way, and how she and her mother were forced to go another way. Also how it seemed liked they had marched forever, and when they did finally make it to a death camp in Poland, they did so only after surviving a early, winter, snow storm. She mentions how those women who had started their journey in sandals, were now having to pulled off their blacken toes just to be able to continue to walk. She also speaks of how people who lagged behind, or held up the march, usually got themselves shot. At a pivotal moment in the book, right before she is rescued by American soldiers, she talks about how the women in the camp were forced to get naked in the snow, but were allowed to keep on their shoes in order for them to walk through the snow filled trenches to the showers. As recalls in her story how she sat there naked, on a cold concrete floor, pressed up against some stranger, waiting their turn for either the gas to come on or the showers- when she looked down at her boots, and thanked her father for keeping her feet warm and safe from wear.

So, just like this girl's father, we all might be forced to think outside the box, in order to survive. The key to your family's survival is going to be your imagination. Take an inventory of items that you may own, and become fully aware of what a item's potential value could be to someone else in despite need. Therefore, even if your house is raided by vandals, all may not be lost. One man's trash is another man's treasure, I'm sure you've heard of that saying before. It's critical that you realize what you have in your home, in regards to everyday household items, which someone might be able to use or trade with. In my mind's eye, I see medical supplies becoming essentially liquid gold. Items such as antibiotic creams, white distilled vinegar, everyday household bleach, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide will become lifesavers. All of which can be purchase now, with our future useless paper money, for pennies on the dollar. Disease and infections are bound to run ramped after any sort of mass chaos or devastation. Small scratches and minor puncture wounds could potentially become a life and death situation. Without the aid of antibiotics, or microorganism static products; disease spreading microorganisms and flesh eating infections will be allowed to consume who and what they want, taking whomever they like to their death bed. A common bottle of rubbing alcohol costs as much as a $1.00 today, but in a global crisis scenario, a bottle of 'life saving' rubbing alcohol becomes priceless. But again, these are common items that raiders won't try to steal at first. The scenario showed that by the time people realize that they should have been scavenging for medical supplies instead TV's, will be too late.

Another simple tactic they showed to apply to a doomsday scenario, was to mess up your yard and make it look as if it has already been looted. Turn over any outdoor furniture you own, and strew bi-degradable house waste across your lawn; such as toilet paper, newspapers or cardboard. If you have outdoor plants, take them inside, you might someday need to use the potting soil for food purposes, but knock over anything and everything else you can find outside, in order to deter vandals from raiding your house. If you live in the suburbs like I do, our homes will become Disneyland to vandals, and thus creating a very dangerous situation for you and your family. Recycling items such as noisy Christmas, metal, jingle bell, balls and changing their purpose to something more useful, by stringing them up together with binding twine, in order to hang it across doorways and windows as a trip line- making use of them as a makeshift alarm system or early detection mechanism; was one of many creative ideas, I seemed to gather while watching the show. More importantly the cost is very minimal, and yet the jingle of those bells could buy your family valuable time to get away or hide in case of an attack on the homefront.

Something else I realized when watching the program was that if a person wanted too, they could get really carried away with prepping for doomsday. Which could potentially consume their life, their life savings, and even compromise their rationalized thinking. Looking for death, and looking at ways to beat death, when death is inevitable can be an all powerful, time consuming mission. One mission that I am personally not interested in diving that deeply into. I have made no plans of buying a gun for my family and I. Frankly, I am more liable to blow my own foot off, than to scare an intruder away. But I do have plans in the works, to take my son and I to a firing range and learn how to properly aim and shoot a gun. If or when a gun is ever left in front of me to use. I have also looked into taking some defense classes. I think that this might also be a good opportunity, for the both of us, to share some quality time together. The cost for a shooting range per hour and gun lessons is approximately around $75 USD, and the cost for self defense lessons for the both of us $150 USD. Another thing I have no plans on purchasing for my family are gas masks. Being in the medical field does have it's advantages, and dying from a poisonousness gas is a fairly pain free, quick way to die. In the big scheme of things, and with all things considered- dying by gas has it's advantages after all.

But what if there is a nuclear attack?

There is not a gas mask in the world that will save you, in the event of a nuclear attack. Radiation seeps into your body through your hair follicles, skin pores and eyeballs. That's why hazardous waste management people where haz-mat suits, with oxygen infiltrated built-in systems. Those haz-mat suits cost thousands of dollars, and while I do value life, I'm not so sure that living in a radioactive environment is right for my family and I. Somethings just cannot be avoided. Nor do I want to try to avoid them. In a radioactive situation, I would much rather die in the beginning of that sort of event, than to watch my family die of cancer, and then die of cancer myself. And..., whose to know for sure if it would even be blood cancer in the end, which would seal your fate. Radiation burns, it burns the mucosal membranes that make up the linings inside your lungs, eyes, brain, and internal organs. It is probably one of the most horrific chances at survival, to live through. One only has to ask the people of Japan about that one.

Through out my practical application to doomsday, I have come to realize that in the event of doomsday, one must come to a determination on just how far they are willing to tread the tightrope it takes, to survive a doomsday scenario. By my very nature I am a scrapper and fighter, but, at some point a person might have to become more rational than a "tough guy" mentality allows, and realize that enough is enough. Realizing when that time is, just might take an enormous amount of courage, in which you may not possess. That's okay, just understand that during a time of crisis, people tend to go to extremes, and recognizing that symptom in yourself, just might save you or your family after all.

If you are planning on prepping for December 21, 2012 or doomsday scenario remember this; no one says you have to go the 'haz-mat suit' route when planning for a doomsday event, and no body says you have to go the 'light planning' route either, which I'm currently working on. All you can do for you and your family, is to follow through with what you feel your family can afford to set aside. That is why setting up a budget for your doomsday prepping applications should be decided right from the get go, and before anything else is started. Thanks for reading this hub, which is the first one of a newest series.

To Do List-

01. Set a budget, and read up on how to deal in a barter and trade system of commerce.

02. Make up a list of medical supplies, and take an inventory of what you currently have in supplies.

03. Find a safe hiding place for your medical supplies and other dry goods. If one cannot be found, dig one up and make one.

04. Make up a general list of needed food, protein and nutrient resources and items; such as dried up eggshells, whet protein powder, and condensed milk.

05. Start keeping back all pocket change in a jar, especially silver half dollars, wheat pennies, and 1964 and older quarters.

06. Stock back at least 2 gallons of white distilled vinegar and 4 gallons of household bleach.

07. Purchase a survival book and plant guide.

08. Water! Water is a very important key factor to pay attention too. A.) Google map your surrounding terrain, and all access roads to every major water way in your region. B.) Find out where your water table is in your own yard, by contacting the local gas company or subdivision planning committee. C.) Find and make copies of directions or instructions that teaches you how to take contaminated or stagnant water, and turn it into drinking water.

09. Create an emergency family disaster plan, and practice it at least twice in the next ten months.

10. Locate family camping gear, organize it, pack it up for a snatch and grab situation, and put it all together in one safe space along with items from #7 and 8. Don't forget to set aside a few extra blankets. (Locate gear preferably close to the disaster plan meeting space.)