The Case for Insular Communities

- - Community

We have (so far) not suffered much from COVID-19, relative to predictions around the next big pandemic. Experts say there is a 50% chance of the big one happening every 50 years, and a big one is 10 million+ deaths globally.

The only way a virus can spread globally is through travellers. If we can limit travelling, we can limit the spread of a virus.

At an international level, that means closing borders quickly. Hopefully it will happen quicker next time around – in 2020 the whole world was affected, even Antarctica. But then again, the next nasty virus could spread quicker, and have less or slower to appear symptoms. So we might still get it in every country.

At a local level, there are many factors in play:

  • Gig economy, and people working in multiple, low-paid jobs
  • Typically low-paid people live in more crowded accommodation
  • Large gatherings / super-spreader events
  • Travelling outside of your suburb for shopping/leisure

All of these can be reduced or negated by people living in small, insular communities. Typically these would be rural intentional communities. A community that is 100% separated from the rest of the world is totally safe in a pandemic, and also reduces the number of potential spreaders.

But we could take steps to make out lives more insular, instead of 100%. This comes with additional benefits:

  • Knowing your neighbours – the more insular, the more you know the locals
  • Safety – because you know more locals
  • Care – because, for example a beggar, you are more likely to know their story
  • Economy – buying local benefits the community

So how do we become more insular, without becoming some totally isolated intentional community?

  • Work locally – choose less travel and more support for local businesses
  • Socialise locally – don’t be an anonymous tourist in some popular suburb – hang out with the locals
  • Join groups – local education and charity groups exist
  • Ditch the Internet – you can find romance and have discussions in the real world
  • Shop locally, instead of online. If you keep trying on shoes locally and buying online, that shoe fitting business will close
  • Give locally – while it is great to give to international charities, charity starts at home
  • Attend political events. I don’t mean Trump rallies, I do mean your local council meeting

The more you do each of the above, the more insular your community becomes. There are no negatives (well, except for gossip, so play nice), many positives, and one of those is less potential for a virus to spread and kill people you love.

The AtmoTube

- - Detection, High-Tech

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I love this product – it is like the iPod that preceded the iPhone. An attractive, small product (fits in your palm), the AtmoTube however has some major shortcomings that mean I won’t be buying it this year:

  1. Sensitivity  – how close to the bad air do I need to be for the device to warn me? The site doesn’t say.
  2. Usefulness – as they state, “ Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen when you breathe in even small amounts of the gas, causing terrible headaches and dizziness.” And… “VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation as well as headaches, loss of coordination, and nausea.” That says to me I have my own built in detector already.
  3. Battery life – in continuous mode it is good for just 1 day. Otherwise, you need to deliberately turn it on or off to test the air – not an option that would suit most folk.
  4. Range – I want it to detect nuclear bombs, radiation and explosive devices…

In 10 years time every survivalist will be carrying the latest version of this. For now, don’t bother.

 

Must-Haves for Getting Home

- - Go Bags

Most “go bags” seem to be designed for running away through forests.

I work in the city, and it is 100 kms to get home. If the SHTF while I am at work (about a third of my weekly hours), then my priority is to get home. If the trains aren’t running, my options are to walk or steal a bicycle. I don’t know how to steal a car!

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(Paperback for size comparison only – I’m not planning on being bored!)

Presuming that I am walking, it will take me 3 days or so to get home, as I guess my journey would not be down a highway, and not in a straight line. While many preppers keep a fully-loaded backpack at work for such events, it doesn’t suit my work environment. Plus, I am on a train for 3 hours each day, so I want my gear with me – and I want to limit the load as best I can. It is better to have a light load that I will actually keep with me than an elaborate kit that I get tired of hauling about. At least with a minimal number of items there will be less questions from work colleagues and friends.

There are some items I am going to have with me anyway:

  • clothing to suit the season
  • a bottle of water
  • phone (with survival guide files)

Here are the extra items I am carrying for survival purposes only:

  • food – muesli bars or oat biscuits.I prefer them to be chocolate coated for additional energy. A packet or box is good for two days. Most likely extra can be scavenged.
  • water – if I can’t refill my bottle with clean water, there is the LifeStraw [product | video] – good for 1000 litres. Small and easy to use.
  • knife – my favourite small multitool is the Leatherman Skeletor [product | video]. You can go smaller, like the Squirt, but the blade quality suffers
  • first aid – I think Celox-A [product | video] is the best product there is for survival/weight ratio. It will stop a a bleeding wound that would otherwise kill you/someone before an ambulance can arrive
  • tactical pen – by Schrade [product | video] – it is a good pen, but can also smash car windows (and hopefully train windows), has a very loud whistle, and a ferro rod for starting fires. In theory it is also a weapon. 
  • paracord – lots of uses. Throw in some duct tape as well if you have room
  • lighting – my little gadget from Nokero [product | video] will charge during the day and provide light all night – and it is very compact

Caveats

I figure I know the journey well enough, know the hills as landmarks, that I won’t need maps or a compass.

In the middle of winter, nights would be difficult with a sleeping bag. But I’m not travelling through wilderness, and I expect some unoccupied shelter can be found.

I haven’t shown my bag because it changes depending on what else I am taking with me that day (like an iPad or books or lunch). Any bag will do. Even the cheapest will be tolerable and last for a few days.

 

In Action

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So I’ve managed to fit my gear into a Leatherman tin – it’s the right size and the lid fits snugly. Not in the tin is food or paracord. The food is a problem, as it will get knocked about in my travels. But the paracord doesn’t need any protection. Added to the tin is a tiny Leatherman torch (flashlight), some waterproof matches and a magneiusm/ferro fire starter. And a chap stick, just because it is so small and light.

It takes up about 1/8th of my small pack. I won’t notice it.

USB Flash Drives for Survival

- - High-Tech

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One certainty about The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) is that we don’t know what will happen. We can guess, but even if we get the general scenario correct, how it affects could vary greatly.

Digital information is highly portable, and no matter what happens, some computers or smart phones and power supplies should survive (unless an EMP is set off).

With a portable flash drive you can store items like:

  • first aid guides
  • copies of birth certificates, land titles etc
  • backups of anything digital you have created, like that novel you are working on
  • treasured photos and videos

and so on… so why wouldn’t you use an indestructible USB drive that only costs $20?

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Flash Survivor® Stealth 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

  • anodized, aircraft-grade aluminum housing
  • waterproof to 200 meters
  • vibration-resistant
  • shock-resistant

It is a great idea for local disasters as well, like if your house burns down, you get burgled or you get trapped overseas. Back up your important computer folder onto the flash drive and keep it with you.

If your information needs to be secure, consider paying more and getting an IronKey, Kanguru or a Datashur.

Or the LaCie RuggedKey which seems to have the best overall specs, including being 100-meter drop-resistant.