Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Preparation Precedes Performance: Preparing The "Go" Bag for a Chaotic Setting

In our information economy (search, mobile and cloud), some members of the masses have become addicted to the immediate gratification of technology. 

What would happen to the masses if the power source behind the technological element of the information economy is nullified for whatever set of reasons? Concurrently, what would they do if natural disasters become a seasonal trend.  What would you do?

Planning and the preparation are the general steps of our "Position" stage.  ... One must be agile, light and mobile on the field regardless of the situation.  ... . 

To prepare for the uncertainty of life, it is important to possess the right essentials (tools, etc.)  and not use it than to need it and not having it.  ...                              
                    
Preparation Precedes Performance
Here is the updated "Alpha" list of gear for one's everyday carry (EDC) purposes:                  
  • a compass        
  • a polycarbonatic clipboard and notepaper.        
  • a Swiss Army Knife (and a Leatherman's multi-tool)     
  • a devoted blade (Emerson, SOG, etc.)  
  • a roll of duct tape                     
  • a LED flashlight and backup batteries    
  • a set of N95 masks
  • a set of vinyl (medical) gloves
  • a Nalgene plastic water bottle (BPA free)
  • a pair of Sunglasses
  • a Smartphone  (with backup batteries)
  • a light pack of USB gear cables (esp. the USB to mini USB cable)            
  • a few large capacity USB flash drives
  • a Faraday-type of container. 
Compass Guidelines for Field Preparation
  • Be light, agile and mobile.  
  • Always carry necessities not accessories.
Here is the updated "Bravo" list of gear for the accessories bag (aka. "The Go Pack #2")  It is nice to have this prepackaged set of gear for extreme climate-driven terrains.                    
  • A set of paper maps of one's terrain
  • A good durable backpack or a quality vest w/ multiple pockets. 
  • A disposable cloth towel
  • A few elastic bands
  • A durable garbage bags            
  • wooden and metal toothpicks                   
  • non-metallic paper clips and metallic binder clips                           
  • Rolls of cash and coins
  • chewing gum, chocolate bars and energy food bars                                
  • a set of specialized magnets
  • a set of small screwdrivers and some screws             
  • a digital watch                                                 
  • a ball point pen and a wooden pencil                                        
  • a colored electrician tapes
  • a cloth towel
  • a dryer's lint filter                
  • a magnesium fire starter
  • a set of colored flares         
  • a set of colored b-day candles                 
  • nylon fishing line and hooks
  • a portable hard drive
  • a USB to mini USB cable                                       
  • a ethernet cable
  • safety pins
  • plastic straws
  • a mini first aid kit (TCM and Western medicine- band aids/gauze, anti germ gel, etc.) 
  • Yunnan White Powder (This Chinese powder medicine works for minor laceration)                                                    
Conclusion
Always be prepared and always know when to gear up.  ... As mentioned before, it is important to be prepared (possessing the right essentials) and not use it than to need it and not having it. Fwiw, this bag makes a good X-Mas gift to those who live in the extreme terrain.  

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3 comments:

The Budo Bum said...

Smart phones are nice, but the batteries die quickly. Some sort of battery charger (solar, crank, etc) is a must.

Compass Architect said...

Thanks for the suggestion of smart phone.
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A favorite non-smartphone is from Motorola.

Compass Architect said...

Correction: A favorite non-smartphone of mine is from Motorola. It is designed to endure tons of punishment.