Mobile Survival Kit

Supplemental to my EDC mini survival kit, the reason I had so much trouble with this kit is because I wanted it for everything from hiking to air travel. The purposes, however, are different enough that separate kits are needed although they may share the same items.

For example, a backpacker goes out with the intention of spending a night or more in a wilderness area and prepares appropriately. The wise hiker packs the Ten Essential Systems intending to be home at night knowing it may not be possible because getting lost or terrain difficulty may lengthen the hike so a night to usually no more than three nights have to be spent outdoors.

On the other hand, nobody else from day-trippers and travelers to office workers, has any intention or expectation of sleeping anywhere other than in a bed. The survival kit is in case something happens to throw us into a survival situation.

This kit is for when I'm in somebody else's vehicle. It can easily be taken up to my room on my own road trips without rummaging through or dismantling my car kit. I might integrate the two kits later making this a subset of my car kit, but because I already had duplicate items because of camping and hiking and trying out various products, it's not an issue at this time.

1. NAVIGATION - Luminous compass; the same as for my Micro Survival Kit, this is an EDC item on my key ring.

2. PERSONAL ATTIRE - Now that I have all the other components for my exposure kit in my purse, the only items for this category are swim goggles for eye protection and a couple of oven bags to wear inside my shoes to waterproof my feet.

3. HYDRATION - Because water is vital, I want at least two methods for making water safe to drink. For the first method, I have (20) Micropur MP1 tablets, a quart zip bag, and 4 feet of aquarium airline tubing to aid collection.

If I don't carry a stainless steel water bottle which can be used for boiling water (I've been using my Brita bottle), a (1 qt. capacity) 8" x 3-7/8" x 2-15/32" foil loaf pan, flattened by folding in the sides and ends to make it easy to carry, is a lightweight and considerably less bulky alternative to a pot.

If I take my Katadyn water bottle, the ViruStat cartridge or the microfilter cartridge used with the MP1 tablets will purify water for me.

4. SHELTER - Two 2-person Heatsheets survival blankets. One for me plus one to share with the friend whose vehicle we're in, or one for a blanket for us and the second to be rigged as a shelter. If there are more passengers than what my blankets will cover, I don't know what will happen. While I'm willing to carry an extra blanket, I don't feel obligated to provide survival gear for everybody who may or may not be along especially since I've had to order many things online, including the Heatsheets.

5. COMMUNICATION - In addition to my EDC: (2) orange bandannas, Sharpie, mechanical pencil, eraser, Rite In The Rain pocket notebook, AM/FM/NOAA radio, and a small kite. My Mini Maglite LED flashlight has SOS and strobe features.

The kite is tricky because it can't be flown near kite-eating trees and a mini kite isn't as easy to see as a full-size kite is from a distance. Still, under the right conditions a kite would help show others where I am and a key ring, pocket, or mini kite takes hardly any space in the kit.

If you decide to get a kite for this and entertainment purposes, bear in mind that a parafoil kite is excellent because it won't have any sticks. However, parafoils fly lower, closer to the horizon, and need more wind than other types. A sled kite is similar and may have sticks.

The common diamond kite flies higher and needs less wind than parafoils and sleds while a delta kite flies the highest of all and needs the least wind.

Another idea is to fly a small American flag upside-down several feet below the kite because an upside-down flag is an official distress signal. For country flags that look the same either way or that duplicate a different country's flag when flown upside-down, tie a knot in the flag.

I recommend you visit a kite store to find the best assortment of small and specialty kites and that you select a predominantly red and orange kite because those colors show up against the sky better than other colors.

6. FIRE - Since I already EDC three methods to start a fire including tinder and magic birthday candles, only a tealight candle and hand sanitizing gel are needed for this kit.

7. ILLUMINATION - A Mini Maglite LED, a neck lanyard because I really don't like wearing a headlamp, and a headlamp because sometimes a flashlight swinging from a lanyard isn't good enough. Because my key ring LED flashlight has a pressure switch to turn and keep it on which also means something can turn it on accidentally, and because I have no way of knowing when the battery will fail, I added another key ring LED to this kit with an on-off switch that can't be turned on accidentally.

8. NUTRITION - (4) Clif and Zone Perfect energy bars plus a tin of Altoids.

9. FIRST AID KIT, HEALTH, AND HYGIENE - A pocket FAK to cleanse and protect minor wounds from infection, a tube of Super Glue with a brush to keep larger wounds closed until medical help can be received, Ultra (SPF 30) Chapstick, a stick of sun screen, StingEze, (10) Wet Ones, mint dental floss, (5) panty liners to make an unpleasant situation more bearable, hair elastic, a folding trowel for digging cat holes, travel toilet tissue roll, and (2) gallon zip bags for trash. I still need to add insect repellent wipes.

In an extra small Pac-It Sac by Eagle Creek, I have a FUD (feminine urinary device) kit: Freshette in its zip storage bag, toilet tissue, hand sanitizing gel, (5) Wet Ones, and (2) quart zip bags for trash.

10. REPAIR AND TOOLS - A sheath knife with 4.48" blade. a folder with a 3.4" blade, Leatherman Mini, Lansky pocket knife sharpener, wire saw, leather gloves, and pry bar. The pry bar is in case of an earthquake and to have something to knock out a ground-floor window to climb out in case I can't get a door open.

For cordage and repairs: (4) safety pins, 50' utility cord 1/8" diameter, 150 yds. unflavored floss, large-eye straight & curved needles, 30' invisible nylon thread wrapped onto a dental floss core, self-threading sewing needle, thimble.

Extras: (2) gallon zip bags, (2) extra AA cells for Mini Mag, (3) extra AAA cells for headlamp.

11. DOCUMENTATION - Cloud and survival information cards; this list. The cloud cards are to help predict the weather in case the radio fails.

12. FINANCES - $1.00 in quarters for a pay phone. A phone card would also be good. Obviously, this is for an urban survival situation.

13. TRANSPORTATION - I took a webbed, clip-on strap I had lying around and put it on the U.S. Army sustainment pouch I bought last month so I can carry it as a shoulder or cross-body bag or a waist pack.

14. ENTERTAINMENT - In addition to my EDC items, the same kite listed under 5. COMMUNICATION.

15. SECURITY & SELF-DEFENSE - A fire and in extreme circumstances, my knives, will keep wildlife at bay.

Excluding the water bottle and extra batteries, the total weight of everything listed is 6.5 lbs.

Mini Survival Kit

After beginning to use my Kindle as a reusable shopping list with the Notepad app, I changed from my wallet-on-a-string purse to one with a pocket large enough to hold my Kindle so I would not set the Kindle down on the seat of the shopping cart and risk having it walk away behind my back.

This meant I could upgrade my Micro Survival Kit of my previous post into a Mini Survival Kit, the subject of this post. While many of the components are the same as for my Micro Survival Kit, there are some additions, the major addition being the Pocket Survival Pak from Adventure Medical Kits. Initially purchased several years ago and modified for my hiking pack, I realized I could EDC it as part of my Mini Survival Kit. The changes are noted below in the sections designated as "AMK PSP" within each system.

As with the Micro Kit, you'll notice some items have to be worn, hand-carried, or left in the car, but not as much as before.

Please note that [items within brackets like this] need to be omitted or packed in checked luggage to comply with TSA restrictions.

1. NAVIGATION - luminous compasses; the same as for my Micro Survival Kit, this is an EDC item on my key rings.

AMK PSP: Includes a 20mm button compass, a good back-up for my own. I added 14 ft. 3 in. of surveyor's tape (same as 5. COMMUNICATION) so I can find my way back to a particular point and avoid getting lost.

2. PERSONAL ATTIRE - Sun glasses with retainer cord, winter or sun hat/cap/visor, Neckbandoo/scarf/neck gaiter, poptop mittens/gloves, shawl/sweater/jacket/coat, footwear, Cascade II poncho with DIY ties; all are the same as for my Micro Survival Kit. The exception is that a 27"x27" Trainman's bandanna is now always with me in my purse and I added the rest of my exposure kit sans goggles. Although inadequate, I'll use my wrap-around sunglasses for eye protection since my purse is too small to hold swim goggles. E-kit: aforementioned bandanna, earplugs, 1 pair nitrile gloves, plastic poncho.

AMK PSP: N/A.

3. HYDRATION - Water bottle/thermal bottle & insulated carrier with shoulder strap, the same as for my Micro Survival Kit.

AMK PSP: Includes 3 sq. ft. Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil that can be formed into a pan to boil water. I added (10) Micropur MP1 tablets from a pack of 30 tablets, an oven bag & tie and a quart zip bag, both to hold water.

4. SHELTER - Folding umbrella and poncho, the same as for my Micro Survival Kit.

AMK PSP: 10 ft. braided cord and 26 in. duct tape (both the same as 10. REPAIR AND TOOLS) may help construct a shelter.

5. COMMUNICATION - Fox 40 Mini whistle and LED on key ring (same as 7. ILLUMINATION), cell phone, Trekker Space pen, and calling cards (same as 6. FIRE); all are the same as for my Micro Survival Kit and are basic EDC items. A pocket-sized notepad was added.

AMK PSP: Includes a Fox 40 Micro whistle, a Rescue Flash Signal Mirror, a tiny #2 Pencil, and a couple of pages of waterproof notepaper. Because I already have a Mini whistle on my key ring, I removed the Micro to make room for other items. I added 14 ft. 3 in. of surveyor's tape (same as 1. NAVIGATION) so I can mark it with my Trekker pen for SAR to be able to find me.

6. FIRE - Fresnel lens magnifier (same as 10. REPAIR AND TOOLS), calling cards (same as 5. COMMUNICATION); both are the same as for my Micro Survival Kit. I added a disposable lighter and a magnesium bar and returned the Spark-Lite of my Micro Kit back to the AMK PSP from where I took it.

AMK PSP: Includes a Spark-Lite Firestarter and (4) Spark-Lite Tinder-Quiks. I added (2) "Magic" can't-blow-out trick birthday candles to help start a fire in windy conditions, rolled in plastic to ensure they would not melt and get wax on everything else in the PSP.

7. ILLUMINATION - key ring LED (same as 5. COMMUNICATION), the same as for my Micro Survival Kit. Since that LED has to be constantly pressed to turn on, I put another key ring LED in my purse that has a on/off switch I don't have to hold on.

AMK PSP: N/A.

8. NUTRITION - P-51 can opener and Ekco Pocket Boy folding can punch and bottle cap lifter, the same as for my Micro Survival Kit and EDC items on my key ring. I added a Ti-Ware spork in a snack zip bag because the plastic forks you can get for free sometimes break.

AMK PSP: Includes 6 ft. of stainless steel wire that can be used for snares and a mini fishing kit with hooks, swivel, and split shot. Use the included thread (same as 10. REPAIR AND TOOLS) as fishing line.

9. FIRST AID KIT - Chapstick, floss, pill fobs with antacids and allergy pills; all are the same as for my Micro Survival Kit. I increased the number of Wet Ones to (4) and added (2) ½ in. wide Band-Aids, facial tissue, and (11) multi-vitamin, multi-mineral tablets in an Altoids Smalls tin.

AMK PSP: Contributes nothing toward this system unless you count the duct tape. I added (2) alcohol prep pads and (2) ½ in. wide Band-Aids.

10. REPAIR AND TOOLS - ResQMe car escape tool, fresnel lens magnifier (same as 6. FIRE), [Swiss Army Classic knife]; all are the same as for my Micro Survival Kit. I added a battery-assisted solar calculator and a monocular.

AMK PSP: Includes [a scalpel blade], 26 in. duct tape (same as 4. SHELTER), (4) safety pins, 10 ft. braided cord (same as 4. SHELTER), 50 ft. thread (same as 8. NUTRITION), sewing needle, fresnel lens magnifier. [Update 9/19/2012 - I added a small card with ten different colors of thread taken from a travel sewing kit and a self-threading needle.]

11. DOCUMENTATION - Driver's license, In Case of Emergency card, library and other membership cards; all are the same as for my Micro Survival Kit. I know how to tie some knots, but not others, so added Knots cards to help.

AMK PSP: Includes Survival Instructions and a few knots along with a list of Pak contents which may be used as tinder for 6. FIRE. (Use the contents list as tinder, not the Survival Instructions - Duh!)

12. FINANCES - Cash and credit/debit cards in wallet with store discount tags on key ring as EDC; all are the same as my Micro Survival Kit.

AMK PSP: N/A.

13. TRANSPORTATION - Primarily a medium-sized purse and key rings unless worn or left in the car as noted above.

AMK PSP: Includes a waterproof, pocket-sized clear vinyl pouch to protect the contents. The pouch has a hole to attach a neck lanyard (some of the included braided cord) to ensure it will not be mislaid or lost during a survival event.

14. ENTERTAINMENT - Kindle, the same as for my Micro Survival Kit except it now fits in my purse instead of needing to be hand-carried separately.

AMK PSP: N/A.

15. SECURITY - Fox 40 Mini whistle (same as 5. COMMUNICATION); the same as for my Micro Survival Kit.

AMK PSP: N/A after I removed the included Fox 40 Micro whistle in favor of the Mini whistles on my key rings.

Many people like to assemble their own pocket survival kits that fit into an Altoids tin or other small container. Some buy an AMK PSP and use the components for their own kits because it's easier and less expensive than searching for and buying the pieces of similarly high quality gear individually.

The main point is that it is possible to have a Mini Survival Kit that is small enough and lightweight enough to carry on your person, in your pockets or purse at all times. I encourage you to set up your own because the only good survival kit is the one you have with you when you need it.

[Updated on 1/1/12 to change bandanna to Trainman's bandanna and to add E-kit, magnesium bar, LED with on/off switch, Pocket Boy, and knots cards.]

Micro Survival Kit

Before I get too carried away working on my Mobile Survival Kit, I thought I should document my Micro and Mini Survival Kits. This post is about my Micro Survival Kit.

Ideally, everyone should carry the bare essentials with them all the time as Every Day Carry (EDC) items which may be a challenge due to size and weight. However, when I carry my wallet-on-a-string type of purse that includes a pen pocket, cell phone pocket, and clip-on cross-body strap, I found I am able to cover all of my Fifteen Essential Systems although some items have to be worn, hand-carried, or left in the car as follows:

1. NAVIGATION - luminous compasses. These are on my key rings.

2. PERSONAL ATTIRE - Sun glasses with retainer cord, winter or sun hat/cap/visor, bandanna/Neckbandoo/scarf/neck gaiter, poptop mittens/gloves, shawl/sweater/jacket/coat, footwear, Cascade II poncho with DIY ties. Depending on the season, these are worn, stashed into pockets, or left in the car depending on the day's weather.

3. HYDRATION - Water bottle/thermal bottle & insulated carrier with shoulder strap. This is carried or left in the car.

4. SHELTER - Folding umbrella and poncho which has corner loops so it can easily be rigged as a tarp. When the weather is so iffy that I want to carry my umbrella with me, I hook it onto my waistband with a belt clip commonly used for keys so I can carry the umbrella hands-free.

5. COMMUNICATION - Fox 40 Mini whistles on key rings, LEDs on key rings (same as 7. ILLUMINATION), cell phone, Trekker Space pen, and calling cards which may be written on the back to leave notes or used to help start a fire (same as 6. FIRE). The Trekker comes with a metal split ring which I hook onto one of the strap clips of my purse. My calling cards fit into the wallet part of my purse. The cell phone goes into the cell phone pocket of my purse, but if I ever want to put more things in the cell phone pocket than I already have there, I could clip the phone onto my waistband.

6. FIRE - Spark-Lite firestarter, fresnel lens magnifier (same as 10. REPAIR AND TOOLS), calling cards (same as 5. COMMUNICATION). The Spark-Lite goes into the pen slot of my purse and the fresnel lens fits into a credit card slot in the wallet.

7. ILLUMINATION - a Garrity key ring LED on each key ring (same as 5. COMMUNICATION).

8. NUTRITION - P-51 can opener and Ekco Pocket Boy folding can punch and bottle cap lifter on key ring. This purse is too small to hold a snack.

9. FIRST AID KIT - Chapstick, floss, pill fobs with antacids and allergy pills, (1) Wet Ones. The Chapstick is held by a Leashable clipped onto my key ring. The floss and Wet Ones fit into the cell phone pocket. The pill fobs go on the clips of the purse's strap.

10. REPAIR AND TOOLS - ResQMe, fresnel lens magnifier (same as 6. FIRE), Swiss Army Classic knife with scissors, file, tweezers, toothpick; newer models have a screwdriver on the end of the file. The ResQMe and SAK are on one of my key rings.

11. DOCUMENTATION - Driver's license, In Case of Emergency card, library and other membership cards.

12. FINANCES - Cash and credit/debit cards are in the wallet. Store discount tags are on a key ring. My check book now stays at home, but fits into a larger purse-on-a-string that I own should I want to have it with me.

13. TRANSPORTATION - Primarily my wallet-on-a-string purse and key rings unless worn or left in the car as noted above. If my clothing does not have a pocket, I can clip my key rings onto the purse's strap.

14. ENTERTAINMENT - My Kindle has to be carried separately when I use this set-up.

15. SECURITY - Fox 40 Mini whistles on key rings (same as 5. COMMUNICATION).

For your own Micro Survival Kit, before you tackle the other systems, I recommend you first figure out how to carry a safety whistle, a compass, a knife (check your local and state laws to ensure you do not carry a knife that is illegal), items to make a fire and hold water even if they are as simple as a disposable lighter, pocket lint for tinder, and a quart zip bag for a canteen; and a light which can be used for signaling as well as to see in the dark.

[Updated on 1/1/12 to add Pocket Boy.]

My Car Kit

This was birthed when I first started driving with a few items like a tire pressure gauge and entrenching tool, grew with more items such as jumper cables and flares, was the beginning of a survival kit with the addition of a gallon of water when I crossed a desert, then expanded as I saw the wisdom of preparedness.

In keeping with my 15 Essential Systems and using my EDC (Every Day Carry) items as well as items from my hiking, camping, and road trip packing lists, this is my current car emergency and survival kit.

Although I reduce water and food items for running errands in town and day trips, keeping the bulk at home as my home preparedness kit, I take everything listed on road trips.

1. NAVIGATION:

a. Luminous Suunto Clipper compass - on my car key ring.

b. Map(s)/road atlas.

c. Highlighters - I use yellow to plan and a darker color to mark my actual route to make it easy to see how far off-track I went.

d. Carson Lumi Click - a lighted magnifier.

e. GPSr and cigarette lighter adapter - optional. These things are great, but I've never relied solely on one.

To confirm my distrust, when I went to see "The Marriage of Figaro," I planned on dining at a particular restaurant after the opera and programmed the waypoint two nights before I left home. After the opera, however, something happened and my GPSr screen blanked out. It wasn't the batteries because I was using the DC adapter. It wasn't the DC adapter because it did the same thing with the batteries which registered a full charge on the meter before blanking out again.

Since I always have a variety of maps with me, I simply selected one and proceeded to the restaurant by memory of the street name and approximate cross street. It turned out that I was two blocks off on the cross street, but that wasn't far to drive in that vicinity.

I never did figure out what happened to it. It worked fine when I tested it after my return, even I went out of town to meet a friend for lunch.

2. PERSONAL ATTIRE:

a. Sun glasses with retainer cord, & clip-on keeper for car visor.

b. Sun hat or visor, winter hat or knit cap, scarf or neck gaiter - depending on the season.

c. Red bandanna - multiple uses.

d. Driving gloves/poptop mittens - convertible mittens are the greatest because they provide the warmth of mittens with the manual dexterity of fingerless gloves and all I have to do is pop off the top of the mitten to switch from one to the other - luv'em!

e. Shawl wrap, sweater, windbreaker, and winter coat - depending on season.

f. Walking shoes/hiking sandals/hiking boots/winter boots & socks, YakTrax Walkers - again, depending on the season.

g. Change of clothing appropriate for the season.

h. Cascade II poncho with DIY ties - breathable and much more comfortable than the PVC poncho of my exposure kit (next item).

i. E-kit: PVC poncho, N95 face mask, swim goggles, earplugs, nitrile gloves, plastic bags - in addition to protecting from dust, noise, or hazardous NBC materials; for extra protection in case of self-rescue, I can put the plastic bags over my socks inside each shoe to waterproof my feet and help prevent frostbite. The nitrile gloves may be used similarly inside my gloves or convertible mittens to further protect my hands.

3. HYDRATION - because water is vital, I have multiple backups for this system:

a. Brita Bottle/thermal water bottle/Katadyn filtering bottle, insulated carrier, Katadyn ViruStat or microfiltering cartridge - which water bottle I use depends on the season and how far from home I'm going.

For example, if I'm only running around town, I use the Brita Bottle or thermal bottle when I want to keep ice longer in over 100° F summer heat like it's been for 65 days so far this summer. For a long road trip, I take all three since the Katadyn bottle is part of my hiking and preparedness kits, using the Brita Bottle as it's intended to be used or to fill the thermal bottle with great-tasting water instead of taking along a Brita pitcher like I used to do.

I like the Katadyn bottle because it may be used as a regular water bottle, a microfiltering bottle when used with the microfiltering cartridge, or a purifying bottle when used with the ViruStat cartridge. It would be great if the carbon filter for the Katadyn bottle could be purchased separately so we have the option of using it as an aesthetic filtering bottle because it would allow every option. Then, I wouldn't need the Brita Bottle.

b. 18 oz. stainless steel bottle mug with fold-in handles and graduated measurements on the side and a foil pot pie pan as a DIY lid - to boil water if necessary. A regular 1 quart/liter Nalgene-type water bottle fits into these bottle mugs so there's very little additional space needed to take one along. Some come with their own lid.

c. 1-4 gallon(s) water, 1 DIY cozy - 1 gallon for day trips to 4 gallons for crossing a desert. I still need to make the cozy to keep the water from freezing during the winter. I thought of using an inexpensive polystyrene ice chest, but it takes up too much space.

d. Katadyn Micropur MP1 tablets and a quart zip bag - to collect water if the location is too shallow for my bottle or mug and to purify water if viruses are a concern when I'm using the microfiltering cartridge in my Katadyn or another bottle that's less than 1 quart/liter capacity. While it's okay to use an MP1 tablet with a lesser amount of water, I think it's a waste since the quart zip bag is so easy to have on hand.

e. Aquarium tubing, 4' - to siphon water if I can't collect it with my water bottle or zip bag.

f. Evaporated milk with non-dairy creamer to improve taste.

g. Hot beverage fixings such as powdered spiced apple mix and bouillon cubes. Since caffeine and alcohol aid both dehydration and hypothermia, there's no coffee, cocoa, or alcohol in my kit. The only tea is decaffeinated.

h. Box juice - optional, usually apple which is better for alertness than caffeine.

i. (3) 2-liter PET bottles for SODIS - optional, depending on how much space is available after packing my small car for a road trip.

4. SHELTER & COMFORT:

a. Umbrella - use as portable sun shade as well as for rain.

b. Window shades & solar-powered fan - the fan hangs on the edge of a window to vent the interior hot air to the outside. Sorry, I've had it so long, I can't recall from where I bought it.

c. Space Emergency Blanket - I got one years ago and still keep it in the car at all times since I take the All Weather and Grabber blankets along only for road trips.

d. Space All Weather Blanket - sturdier, quieter, and easier to refold than a regular Space blanket; use as ground sheet, tarp, and signaling.

e. Therm-A-Rest Women's Trail Lite pad - from my hiking pack. I have an inexpensive closed-cell foam pad I use for car camping but it's too bulky for my pack or to keep in my small car. Not thinking, I got a 3/4-length Uber pad which doesn't insulate my usually colder legs and feet at all simply because it's short, so switched to the full-length Therm-A-Rest.

f. Space Grabber hooded all weather blanket - use as a hooded blanket and for signaling.

g. Plastic sheet (=> 2 mm thick) - create a greenhouse effect with a fire on one side when a Space blanket is used on the opposite side as a heat reflector for warmth. The sequence is: fire, plastic, person(s), Space blanket, and car or other surface to which the plastic sheet and Space blanket are secured. Also for additional purposes such as collecting dew or rain runoff for hydration.

Relying on only the car as shelter might not be a good idea because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and not being able to stretch out to sleep may prohibit getting the best quality of rest during an already stressful situation; it's a personal judgment call.

The problem with rigging a tarp or pitching an open-ended emergency tube tent is that wind shifts may cause the elements to storm in and the open sides permit insects and larger critters to share my shelter. I really don't like the idea of a snake snuggling up to me to share my body heat as I sleep and cringe at the thought of rolling over onto a rattler. While a mosquito net would help the open ends of a tube tent, it would have to be a large net to help with the open sides of a tarp.

I do have a hiking tent that needs to be staked out which I carted around in my car for a few years until I realized a free-standing tent would be better because of the variety of surroundings I was driving through.

When high summer temperatures turn a car into an oven making hyperthermia a concern, rigging a tarp to create shade would be more comfortable than getting under the car to stay cool. I can tie my All Weather blanket to my roof rack or close the car doors on the edge of one side and use my hiking poles or buy taller, collapsible tarp poles to hold up the other.

5. COMMUNICATION:

a. Cell phone with In Case of Emergency (ICE) info in phone book + cigarette adapter - I probably should get an additional way to recharge it in case I can't recharge it using the car battery.

b. Antenna help flag (red bandanna).

c. Fox 40 Mini whistle - on key ring.

d. Parker Jotter with Space Pen refill - the Jotter cost me less than the Space Pens were priced; I put a Space Pen refill in it because it writes when other pens won't.

e. Mechanical pencil & eraser.

f. Rite in the Rain® All-Weather notepaper - to leave weatherproof notes in case I leave the vehicle to attempt self-rescue so rescue personnel know which way I went and my condition; this paper needs a pencil or Space pen to be able to write on it.

g. Surveyor's tape, 30' - to leave a trail of "breadcrumbs" in case I leave the car to search for water so I can find my way back and so SAR may track me down.

h. Signal mirror.

i. Radio Shack NOAA Alert radio.

j. Grundig AM/FM/SW radio, optional - to keep up with what's going on in the rest of the world.

6. FIRE - Vital for heat, purifying water, signaling, cooking, light, and morale; I have multiple backups for this system as well:

a. Lighter - with an adjustable flame that mimics a blowtorch, butane lighters are not dependable at high altitude or when wet or cold, however, there are windproof and water-resistant models available.

b. Wooden safety and storm-proof matches in waterproof match safe - backup to the lighter.

c. Swedish FireSteel Army model by Light My Fire - ferrocerium rods work even if wet and will outlast both the lighter and matches by far.

d. (2) "Magic" can't-blow-out trick birthday candles - for windy conditions.

e. Magnesium block firestarter - the shavings are too easily blown away, but if sheltered by kindling and wood, will help dry damp wood so it can burn.

f. (6) PJ cotton balls and (5) PJ tampons - triple-sized cotton balls and super plus tampons slathered with petroleum jelly as DIY tinder stored in a plastic snack zip bag.

g. (3) Firestarting sticks - in case natural kindling is too wet.

h. Portable stove & fuel - for this car kit, I selected the Esbit Pocket stove.

i. (1) Nuwick 120-hour candle - to warm vehicle and some foods, it also provides light.

j. Silicone & wooden trivets - there's no point in melting or burning up the vehicle or ground sheet. The wooden trivet could also serve as fuel in a pinch.

k. Set of two nested camping pots (with fold-in handles) with lids, 1.3 & 0.9 liter capacity. The smaller pot stays in the car kit all the time while the larger pot gets added for road trips. I used to include a kettle, but decided it's unnecessary between my bottle mug and these pots.

l. (2) EzHeat instant reusable handwarmers - boil in water to reactivate.

m. Fire extinguisher - required by some U.S. National Parks.

7. ILLUMINATION:

a. Mini Maglite with red lens from accessories pack - in glove box to read maps and preserve night vision. I got this years before and converted it to LED before getting the LED model and haven't had a reason to remove it from my glove box.

b. Mini Maglite LED, accessories pack, Nite Ize headband, neck lanyard. A brighter light than my converted, older Mini Mag, I really like having the SOS and strobe features of the next-generation model.

The problem with the headband is wearing the flashlight on the side of my head makes me feel lopsided. As a result, I prefer the lanyard except it bounces when I move and I can't always direct the light to precisely where I'm looking without holding the flashlight in my hand.

c. Headlamp - I currently have three I don't like and continue to look for one I do. I put one of these three in my car kit.

d. (4) Chemical light sticks - to light car interior to aid visibility while I sleep without running down batteries or risking a fire. I'd hate for another driver to not see me when I need help or, worse, hit my car but because they have expiration dates and I bought a lighted traffic cone, I doubt I'll replace them after they're gone.

8. NUTRITION:

a. Snacks - a small selection chosen from Clif/Luna bars, granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, crackers, or peanut butter-filled snack crackers. These are for day trips.

b. Three or more days worth of meals - instant oatmeal and Cream of Wheat, Bumble Bee's Tuna Salad Lunch on the Run, instant miso soup, Knorr's Sides - rice and pasta, Idahoan instant mashed potatoes, Ramen, foil-packaged or canned fish, chicken, or meat, canned vegetables, fruit cups, and Mountain House freeze-dried food (so far, I haven't liked the other brands I've tried). These are also my home preparedness kit. I prefer dried, dehydrated, or freeze-dried products because they don't have the weight of canned goods and there's no risk of breakage as with glass making this kit double as my evacuation kit. Although I realize they need water to prepare, and water might not be readily available, I hope to be rescued before my water supply is exhausted or be able to evacuate to a locale with an adequate water supply outside the disaster area.

c. Plastic plate as cutting board, paring knife, and a Frisbee for a plate because the raised edge helps prevent spillage. One of the camping pots can double as a bowl.

d. Eating utensils: plastic set of knife, fork, & spoon; citrus peeler for fresh fruit bought along the way.

e. Salt & pepper.

f. Manual can opener - even though I have a P-51 can opener on my key ring.

g. Punch can opener + cap lifter + corkscrew - leftover from my first attempt at making up a car kit for spontaneous picnics.

9. FIRST AID KIT, HEALTH, HYGIENE, LAUNDRY:

a. Commercially prepared FAK, lip balm, sun block, insect repellent, insect sting relief, artificial tears, rehydration mix.

b. Personal medications, multi-vitamin & multi-mineral pills.

c. Floss, toothbrush & toothpaste.

d. Toilet tissue pack/roll, toilet seat covers - this started out as a travel item.

e. Feminine supplies including a Freshette feminine urinary device (FUD) and a 2 L colored PET bottle - the Freshette is because I don't like exposing my bare butt in the great outdoors and hours in a car on an evacuation route wouldn't give me anything in the way of privacy much less a clean restroom. The bottle is so I don't have to let more cold air in by opening the door to go outside; it's colored so I don't confuse it with my SODIS bottles and so I won't have to regard the color of its contents.

f. Hand sanitizing wipes/gel - alcohol-based sanitizer gel will also help start a fire.

g. Facial tissue, hand lotion, foot powder, baby wipes - convenient sponge-type bath.

h. No Rinse shampoo, No Rinse body wash - for a more thorough clean-up when water is in short supply.

i. Biodegradable washing liquid - for body, hair, dishes, and laundry in fresh or sea water.

j. Solar shower - this black plastic bag, tube, and nozzle contraption that uses the sun to heat the water started out as a camping item because there's nothing like a hot shower.

k. Shout stain removal wipes, optional.

l. Quart and gallon zip bags for trash.

10. REPAIR & TOOLS:

a. Squeegee, Rain-X wipes, windshield interior cleaner, ice scraper, spare wiper refills - leftover from the last time I bought refills since my wiper blades are different lengths

b. Leatherman multi-tool, knife & scissors sharpener, LifeHammer, ResQMe - on my key ring for when I'm not in my own car, I didn't know about the ResQMe when I bought my LifeHammer.

c. Gorilla Grip universal socket, 3/8" ratchet handle & driver extension set, adjustable wrench, entrenching tool, ax, Sierra saw.

d. Duct tape, 100' paracord, zip ties, bungee cords, bungee net - to secure items on the trunk lid's luggage rack.

e. Jumper cables, spare fuses, tow rope, traction mats & plastic bag to keep car clean after use, 1-gallon gas can, funnel, siphon, plastic bag to hold used funnel and siphon.

f. Bumper-mounted deer warning devices - absolutely fantastic for keeping bugs from executing kamikaze dives into my windshield; when the splats start up again, I know it's time to wash out the devices. And I've never hit a deer which is why I originally bought them.

g. 2-AAA Pack-a-Cone, warning triangle, flares, reflective safety vest.

h. Wheel block (a brick), jack, tire iron, spare tire, air compressor with cigarette lighter cord, tire pressure gauge.

i. (6) spare AAA cells for Lumnifier, Pack-A-Cone.

j. (4) spare AA cells for flashlights.

k. Eyeglass repair kit - gotta have sunglasses!

l. (3) 1-quart zip bags, (5) 1-gallon Hefty One Zip freezer bags, (3) kitchen can trash bags, (3) leaf trash bags.

m. (1) roll paper towels.

Some lists include a drive belt, hoses, and clamps. I don't because I have my car serviced according to the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual and take the car in for an oil change and to have such things checked before each road trip for my own peace of mind, ounce of prevention and all that.

11. DOCUMENTATION:

a. Driver's license - in wallet.

b. Proof of insurance & phone #.

c. Registration & owner's manual.

d. Roadside assistance membership card with phone #.

e. ICE info - in wallet.

f. [Disposable] camera to record scene of accident.

g. Notebook to record accident info: other driver's license #, car plate #, insurance.

h. This list - to quickly assess what's available, use as tinder.

12. FINANCES:

Cash & coins - I'm not sure what good these will be in an emergency or survival situation except to pay for a taxi, tow truck, or on-the-spot repairs since many businesses accept credit/debit cards. I keep coins in a Tupperware pudding cup in one of the car cup-holders for toll roads and parking meters.

13. TRANSPORTATION:

a. Small ice chest - used without ice to insulate my FAK medications from heat when I park for a while to visit a site enroute to my next lodging.

b. Plastic bins - to store and easily transfer non-canned food and other preparedness items between home and car.

c. Doubled shopping bags for canned food.

d. Car accessory litter bags with Velcro closures - hung off the back of the front seats using the head restraint supports. These are used to hold my folding umbrella, maps, Mini Maglite LED flashlight, and other small items.

e. Car accessory storage bag that hangs in the trunk next to the back of the back seat - to hold almost everything in the Tools & Repairs category using a minimum of trunk floor space. Some items, like the brick, saw, and ax, are stored underneath or because of the angle of the seat back, between the bag and seat back such as the solar fan and sun shade during the off-season.

f. Car top carrier - for road trips. Abundant shopping in San Francisco and Los Angeles motivated me to buy a car top carrier system while I was in L.A. because of the greater capacity and providing more protection than the luggage rack on the trunk lid. I don't store car kit items in it.

g. Da car - ideally, items needed immediately such as the FAK, candle, matches, Space Blanket, and water would be within reach so the occupant(s) can preserve body heat while taking care of immediate needs without having to open the vehicle doors.

There's a luggage rack on the trunk lid, but because any cargo has to be netted, depending on state law, and tarped to withstand weather, I view this as a temporary carrier or for the last resort.

14. ENTERTAINMENT - The only items kept in the car at all times are my pocket and mini kites. I take my Kindle when I foresee waiting time while I'm doing errands in town. The rest are added for day or road trips as desired:

a. Camera, recharger, tripod.

b. Binoculars/monocular.

c. Crossword puzzle book, playing cards, assorted pocket, mini, and full-sized kites - under the right conditions, a kite could be used to signal my location.

d. Cassettes and MP3 player.

e. Cassette adapter and sticky pad for the MP3 player.

f. Kindle (also needs the cassette adapter) with games as well as reading material - I can recharge the Kindle using the inverter I got for my laptop.

g. Small musical instrument such as a tin whistle or harmonica and music book.

h. Watercolor painting supplies.

15. SECURITY & SELF-DEFENSE - Because this category depends on the variety of states' laws as much as personal preference, I generally limit it to my Fox 40 Mini whistle because if close enough, three blasts can really hurt a bad guy's ears giving me a chance to get away as well as signaling my need for help, three being the universal distress signal.

[Updated 11/18/2011]

Searching for a Headlamp

I'm in the process of searching for the perfect LED headlamp for me to have easy, hands-free portable light. A few years ago, I bought one by Energizer for about US$10 that has wonderful features. It's just too bad the headband is too tight and isn't replaceable.

After that, I bought a Nite Ize headband designed to adapt mini flashlights such as my Mini Maglite into headlamps. Unfortunately, I find it best used as a neckband to help support the flashlight on my shoulder and actually prefer to clip the flashlight onto a regular neck lanyard which gives me general lighting although I rather have lighting that's more specific to my task at hand.

Exit stage left, a Rayovac headlamp for less than $6 at Wal-Mart. The headband is very comfortable but the battery compartment is extremely difficult for me to press to open. Although the white light is okay, the single red LED has a large dark circle in the middle of its light.

Enter stage right, a Coleman Max headlamp for nearly $25 at Wal-Mart. This has high beam, low beam, lower beam, plus red and blue LEDs. The headband is adjustable and replaceable. The battery compartment is the easiest to open of the three I've tried, having its own tool as part of the headband adjustment. Very nice. However, I think its having so many sexy features made it too heavy for my delicate head.

Back to the store for another try.

Traveler's Key Ring

I've been fiddling with my traveler's key ring and decided I may as well post the list.

It originated many years ago when I got tired of digging out a coin every time I wanted to use my tripod. That was before getting a tripod with a quick-release mount. I put a coin-like screwdriver onto a split-ring and hung it on my waistband with a belt clip. Items gradually accumulated until last weekend when I decided to see how everything fit into my 15 Essential Systems.

1. Navigation - luminous compass, mini highlighter. I used to have a Suunto Clipper on a fob I liberated from a cheap no-name compass that developed a honking huge bubble during the first part of my road trip in 2006. Before getting the Suunto, I tried using one of those several-function compass-whistle contraptions, but the compass was too small, the luminous points too dim, and the whistle too soft.

I bought a Brunton 9041 last year so I wouldn't have to move the Clipper from my car key ring to my traveler's key ring and back again. Currently, the 9041 is kept on a small carabiner so it's easy to remove from the split-ring to avoid letting other metal objects influence the compass.

As for the highlighter, I plan my routes using a yellow highlighter and use a darker color to mark where I actually go since I travel with a "that looks interesting" attitude and often stray from my intended path whether driving or walking. It helps me get back on track and is a reminder of what I did and where I went after the trip is over and I'm back home. The mini highlighter, bought at Staples, is a Sharpie Accent with a metal loop on the cap to attach it to a key ring.

2. Personal Attire.

3. Hydration.

4. Shelter - mini umbrella. Since this goes on another belt clip on the other side of my waistband when it looks like it might rain, it really doesn't count although it could. That's why I am.

5. Communication - Fox 40 Micro whistle, Trekker Space Pen. Every woman needs a loud, dependable whistle at hand and I don't like digging around in my purse for a pen whenever I want to make a note, either.

Fisher Space pens and the pressurized Space refills made for other pens are great because they write on any paper, even that slick thermal stuff, under any temperature, at any angle including the gravity-defying position of upside-down.

6. Fire - Spark-Lite, invented by the owner of Four Seasons Survival and also distributed by Adventure Medical Kits, or a Mini Swedish FireSteel by Light My Fire. This is an offshoot from my hiker's survival necklace. Realizing I got carried away with this preparedness endeavor and having too many items on my traveler's key ring, I put the sparker on a second small carabiner to live in my travel purse until needed. Since the Spark-Lite doesn't come with a lanyard, I duct-taped the melted and knotted ends of 1/8" orange utility cord onto the stem of the Spark-Lite.

I occasionally swap the two sparkers because I can't decide which I prefer to have where. The Spark-Lite is operated with one hand so is probably better for hiking where the potential for getting injured is greater. However, a Swedish FireSteel is much easier for me to use.

7. Illumination - Garrity key ring LED. Acknowledging this is never used until it's too dark for me to see without it, I relegated it to live in my travel purse on my second carabiner with my sparker until needed.

8. Nutrition - P-51 can opener, bottle cap lifter-can punch. For those who don't know, the P-51 is the big brother of the P-38 military can opener. The other is an Ekco Pocket Boy I happened to see in a local grocery store. It folds in half making it a nice size for key rings. To reduce weight and the number of items on my traveler's key ring, I added these to my second carabiner as well.

9. FAK, Health - Chapstick in a Leashable, Pro Tick remover. The Leashable is a clip-on neoprene holder that came with a tube of different lip balm. I borrow the Pro Tick remover from my hiking survival necklace for areas where I might encounter ticks I'd want to remove as soon as possible. Maybe I should buy another tick remover to ensure I don't forget it.

10. Repair & Tools - Craftsman 9-4160 screwdriver, Swiss Army Knife Classic model, ResQMe. The Craftsman 4-in-1 screwdriver I bought at Sears is what got me started on creating my traveler's key ring. Even though my current Slik tripod has a quick-release mount, I still use it to change over to my mini tripod, and change batteries and memory cards.

The SAK is now on the second carabiner in my travel purse and will have to be left behind or put in checked luggage when I fly.

The ResQMe only goes on my traveler's key ring when I rent a car. Otherwise, it remains on my house key ring for when I ride with other people since my own car has a LifeHammer mounted on the center console.

11. Documentation - USB drive. It fits into a clip-on holder and contains a copy of my current computer files since my laptop and backup external hard drive were both stolen in 2007. Eventually, I'll get around to putting report-loss-to phone numbers and critical information on it, password-protected, of course, if not encrypted.

12. Finances - emergency cash in a fob. I saw what looked like spy capsules online, designed to hold one or two folded and rolled bills in a key ring fob. CVS and Wal-Mart have good-sized pill fobs that will hold more which I think is better since I prefer to have easier-to-spend ten and twenty dollar bills than fifties and hundreds.

I may be wrong, but when it comes to traveling, I think of emergency cash in terms of a few meals and maybe cab fare back to my lodging where I can use the phone to get stolen credit/debit cards replaced or to a bank to cash a check. Never one to carry much over $25, I once spent six weeks with nothing more than a dime and a penny in my wallet. Hey, if I don't have it on me, I can't spend it, right?

13. Transportation.

14. Entertainment - pocket kite. Yup, a mini kite on a key ring means I'm ready to fly a kite any time there's enough breeze and the room for it.

15. Security & Self-defense - the same Fox 40 whistle in 5. Communication and the same USB drive in 11. Documentation. Having the USB drive on me is more secure or makes me feel like it is because losing all the work I did over the 10 months to that point of my trip was terrible.

There it is. Twelve categories out of fifteen on a key ring! Admittedly, it's better to wear it under a blouse that isn't tucked in to avoid looking like a building superintendent, but it's a great convenience to have often-used items at my fingertips and a comfort knowing I can add the items of the second carabiner back to it at any time.

To recap, the 17 items are:

On my traveler's key ring clipped to my waistband - highlighter, kite*, lip balm, pen, pill fob, ResQMe*, screwdriver, tick remover*, USB drive, whistle, luminous compass on a small utility carabiner.

On my second carabiner - Ekco Pocket Boy, LED flashlight, P-51, sparker, SAK.

On another belt clip - umbrella*.

* when conditions warrant it.

Lists

This past week was spent trying to trim a packing list down to only what will fit in a carry-on bag. I've yet to succeed.

This is odd for me since I've traveled with only a carry-on before without any problems, but I didn't save any of those packing lists. Besides, this time, I'm organizing my packing list according to the 15 Essential Systems.

As a result, after I get this list done, I'm planning to use it as the basis for a master packing list that will have additional components for such things as kite-flying and motel camping during road trips.

That way, I'll already have my packing list and will only have to copy it to make a new file then delete whatever won't be needed for the current trip. I thought about simply printing it and crossing off what I won't need, but don't want to waste the paper and ink printing unneeded items and want to keep a record of what I packed for various trips. If I find something that consistently isn't being used, I can delete it from my master list unless it's a preparedness item such as my whistle or water purification tablets.

I don't think it's the preparedness items that are making me have too much for a carry-on. I think it's having clothing for temperatures ranging from 45° to 80° F. Theoretically, I should be able to layer a shirt over a top, adding thermal underwear, a beret or knit cap, convertible mittens, and a windbreaker if I get cold. Or, not wear either the overshirt or the top if I get too warm.

It isn't the quantity of clothing, either. Except for one or two sets of thermal underwear, I'm planning on three sets of underwear (one to wear, one to wash, and one for spare), two skirts, one pair of pants, two long-sleeved shirts, two short-sleeved tops, and one of my summer seersucker dresses to double as a nightgown to eliminate my needing a robe to go down the hall. That isn't much for a three-week trip. It isn't much for a one-week trip.

For footwear, I'm planning on one pair of shoes or boots that I'll wear plus flip-flops that I'll pack, so that's not the problem.

Thinking about it as I write this post, I think the problem is my tripod. Since 9-11, some airlines have been ignoring the Bern Convention that says camera equipment is exempt from carry-on limitations, so I'm planning to pack it into my carry-on instead of carrying it separately in its own case as I did prior to 9-11. However, doing so may mean I'll end up checking a bag. Damn terrorists!

I've also been considering different backpacks for my Grab & Go bag. I nearly decided on one before realizing it has about the same capacity as my travel pack which qualifies as a carry-on bag for air travel. That's too small since I want to be able to carry camping equipment as well in case I decide to get into backpacking which sounds really good to me right now.

Finally, thinking about cooking, eating, and sleeping outdoors whether I get a backpack or not, I started working on a camping list based on my 15 Essential Systems. I plan to create the list, then see what I actually have and which items I need to buy to fill in the holes. I think I already have everything and using the 15 Essential Systems to organize my list will ensure I do.

Interesting Week - Preparedness

Between Joplin, MO suffering from tornado devastation and a long line of huge storms with tornadoes passing through on Tuesday, the local CBS TV station polled viewers asking if they were going to step up their emergency preparations. Surprisingly, since the broadcast area includes Wichita Falls, TX that was devastated in 1979, 73% of the respondents said, "No."

One couple, looking like they're past the mid-life crisis stage of life, said they always have water and other items in each of their vehicles because they've learned to be prepared. I've been thinking along that line simply so I won't have to haul stuff out to the car I might forget under the stress of having to evacuate suddenly and to have it already there when I go on road trips.

Considering the government initiated National Preparedness Month in 2003 and all the natural disasters that have hit this country since, I wonder why it's more important for so many people to have the latest electronic games and smart phones than it is to set some things aside for the proverbial rainy day, not even having a basic, inexpensive car survival kit to keep themselves from freezing to death.

Are the relatively few of us who are prepared, or at least are trying to be, living amongst a nation of hedonists or are they just stupid people who should be left subject to the law of survival of the fittest? How many of us could be that hard-hearted knowing that we might need help ourselves someday despite our preparedness?

Maybe I'm fortunate in that I've been able to draw from other peoples' experience and knowledge as well as my own. My father grew up in Idaho on a farm which necessitates self-sufficiency. My mother and I grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. She and her parents lived through the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the initial shock, panic, and subsequent war conditions. As a family, we experienced a hurricane and tropical storms along with warnings of tsunamis that, fortunately, never materialized.

As an apartment-dweller, I went back to my experience during a spring break in Honolulu living with a high school friend and her family on the 36' ketch they sailed from the state of Washington to Hawaii trying to remember what they had and how they did things in their small, compact, floating home. I'm also drawing from my experiences traveling, hiking, car camping, and camping with horses with friends who were in the Army.

Dad, who drove through all the lower 48 states plus parts of Canada and Mexico, taught me how to navigate using a road map during our Mainland road trips. I learned how to navigate using a topo map, lensatic compass, and protractor courtesy of the U.S. Army coming out #4 on the test which pretty well embarrassed many of the men. A few real men that were there near me congratulated me on doing so well; the rest were sullen. To the latter, I didn't exist.

Having been taught to put an extra gallon of water in the car trunk when crossing deserts on road trips and stocking several gallons of water in my apartment because of the Y2K bug scare, I already knew to have water on hand for emergencies. Traveling through areas flooded out by 2006's Pineapple Express prompted me to keep extra food on hand.

Also in 2006, a friend in WA advised me to have a 72-hour kit. I didn't know what one was, but found out and have been working on it basing my kit on hiking's 10 Essential Systems I adapted to cover travel and general preparedness to suit me and my lifestyle.

As a result, I've been thanked for sharing what little knowledge I've shared and someone suggested I write a book. At the time, I said "no" because I rather concentrate on writing novels, but thinking about what I know and my experiences and all the research I've done over the past 2+ years for hydration alone (there's a lot of misinformation out there and even the CDC is putting out info that isn't as accurate as it could be), I'm reconsidering.

Already having gear for hiking, camping, and traveling, I'm actually farther along with my own preparedness than this blog indicates. At this point, I'm filling in relatively small holes and organizing or reorganizing.

For the Communication category, because of the tornadoes of the past few days, I'm thinking wearing a lanyard with a whistle during storms, maybe my hiking survival lanyard since I already have it set up, would help get me found faster if I'm under debris, conscious, and able to blow my whistle.

I consider the Documentation category to be incomplete because I misplaced the key to my fireproof lock box which is way too heavy for air travel or evacuation if I have to go on foot. My passport is out because of traveling; I couldn't find the key to put it back in the lock box.

For Finances, I have a little cash on hand in case plastic can't be used due to power outage, but should have much more. A friend in Alabama who experienced April's storms that took out the electricity in her area putting stores and gas stations on a cash-basis said her residential area was without power for 5 days but power wasn't fully restored for 11 days.

For the Transportation category, I need to gather everything together to be able to Grab & Go quickly. Of course, my primary mode of transportation is my car, but what if I encounter a situation like in the movie, "The Happening," where people leave their vehicles to proceed on foot?

A large backpacker's backpack would be best, but since I'm travel-oriented already having a couple of carry-on travel packs, the kind of suitcase that converts to a backpack, that I can use for evacuation, do I shell out the money for one?

Because I'm geared up for hiking, camping, air travel, and road trips, I'm undecided about how to transport my stuff in the event of evacuation by foot without buying a backpacker's backpack to serve as my Grab & Go bag and duplicating stuff to store in it all the time. I have practically everything I need. However, I don't want to risk robbing Peter to pay Paul only to get caught not repaying Peter before the SHTF.

For the category of Security, I'm still figuring out what to do since a lot of stuff was stolen out of my car trunk in 2007 in San Ysidro, CA. Almost everybody knows to keep valuables out of sight, but thieves know the car trunk is where people put them. Lacking a car alarm system, securing the trunk with a cable that sounds an alarm if cut might be the answer for rental cars in addition to long road trips where I have too much stuff to immediately take everything to my room.

The matter of self-defense is a highly personal one because of the variety of state and local laws governing guns, knives, pepper sprays or Mace, and stun guns. Not to mention the TSA.

Personally, I can't see any sense in buying a gun only to have it confiscated without compensation if I'm in a situation like those being bused out of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina who had to give up their guns and knives before being allowed to board a bus.

OTOH, I much rather have a gun than be raped.

On the other other hand, if I can evacuate soon enough, getting far enough away from whatever bad guys remain behind, the money spent buying a firearm would be wasted and better spent on a motel room.

For the time being, I'm relying on prayer and the Fox 40 Mini whistle on my key ring which will hurt a bad guy's ears, hopefully stunning him/them with ear pain long enough for me to get away while it signals my need for help.

Finally, the Entertainment category is covered, I'm sure, although I still intend to get a pocket-sized MP3 player to replace my portable CD player. Since it's low priority, no rush. My Kindle, pocket kite, playing cards, journal, camera, tin whistle, and watercolor paints, etc., should be plenty enough to keep me occupied if necessary in the meantime.

Writing it all up for this blog as promised is the bitch.

Blogging About Preparedness

It's only April and already this has been an eventful year for preparedness issues from snow and ice, to tornadoes, flooding, and wildfires.

Just last Friday, a wildfire broke out on the west side of town from high winds knocking down a power pole. Industrial employees as well as residents were evacuated while firefighters battled for 12 hours to contain the blaze that consumed 3500 acres, returning the next day to put out flare-ups. Although multiple homes were scorched, only the trailer at the site of the fire's origin was totally destroyed.

On Monday, trying to absorb that 80,000 acres had burned in Oklahoma and Texas, a 200-acre fire destroying at least 30 homes in Texas, I learned that another wildfire on the east side of town caused a friend to leave work because her 15-year-old daughter was at home. Fortunately, any concerns were quickly dispelled because the firefighters had the fire out by the time she got home.

At 3:30 early Tuesday morning, firefighters began evacuating residents of a mobile home park RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY APARTMENT because of a big grass fire in a field behind it. The raging flames got within 100 feet of the nearest line of mobile homes, making great footage for the local TV news along with the billowing smoke, but again, the firefighters were able to contain the fire; this time within only 30 minutes, and no property was damaged.

Whew! May God bless firefighters! And all our emergency response personnel!

Residents so close to my own home being awakened at Oh-dark-thirty to evacuate within mere moments emphasizes the necessity of our having Grab & Go bags at the ready.

I admit that even by my own standards, I've been extraordinarily slow about finishing my series on Fifteen Essential Systems. It's because I got snagged on my post about hydration, discovering that I bit off a whole lot more than anticipated. I thought I could pose situations, possible solutions, and product recommendations to help other people save the time on all the research I had to do for myself and got overwhelmed by what I was learning. Do I address those with wells? What about those manufacturers snowing consumers with words and numbers that mean practically nothing in regards to keeping us from getting sick from drinking water? Plus, the product line-up has changed, making newer products available before I have the post ready to publish, trapping me in an endless loop of research to keep up. Auwe! The only way to break out of the loop is to eliminate product recommendations.

Since I resolved my own hydration concerns two years ago and many of the others since then, one might wonder why I bother. It's simply because I said I would. Plus, it's great being able to share information about something I really care about.

The greatest benefit about being prepared is the confidence of knowing I'm able to face just about anything I might encounter at home or on my travels.

Psalms 91:
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

Preparedness 2010 - Part 4

Basically, I'm the kind of person who rather install new flashlight batteries and forget about them until they fail and need replacing which always occurs while I'm using it.

Playing electronic solitaire gave me an idea. Why don't I replace all AA cells every six months whether they need it or not when I check my emergency food and water supplies and save the older cells to power my solitaire game that also uses AA cells?

That way, the flashlights for my home, car, and Grab & Go bag will always have the freshest batteries.

After all, it isn't much more effort than replacing the cells in my NOAA weather radio or home's smoke detector twice a year when we change to/from Daylight Savings Time.

Preparedness 2010 - Part 2

Another cause for concern last winter was that a part broke in the city's water supply system. The pressure dropped and residents were advised to conserve water until the new part, expected to be delivered the next day, was installed.

Panic ensued with people rushing to buy every single bottle of water in town, arguing and pushing to fill their shopping carts with as many bottles as they could get.

Although we might laugh at people over-reacting that way, the truth is that water is precious. The panicked response is proof.

The shame of it is that it was totally unnecessary not only because there was no danger of the city running out of water, but also because if everyone already had their three days to two weeks worth of water set aside for emergency use and checked it every six months as federal agencies advise, they never would have panicked.

Having the confidence that you can face an emergency situation is what preparedness is all about.

"Prey"

I watched the movie, "Prey," this morning on HBO and can't contain this rant. I didn't know it was supposed to be a horror flick which is okay because it isn't. It is, however, the type of movie that has great scenery, excellent animal action, and an encounter with natives that had me tense up.

It's also the kind of flick that's great to hoot and holler at and for throwing popcorn at the screen.

For those who have yet to see it, "Prey" is a survival story about a woman and her two step-children, all seemingly fairly typical American tourists, who go off on a game safari in Africa for a day.

Got that? I don't want to spoil the story for you so it's important for you to get those parts. Game safari, in Africa, for a day.

Oh, heck.

***** SPOILER ALERT *****

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Is that enough space?
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Who in their right mind goes off into the WILDERNESS in AFRICA without WATER? Sure, they hired a guide and he should have had a large container of extra water, but he didn't and they didn't think to check. I didn't see a can for extra gas, either, and he certainly didn't have a radio or a satellite phone, nor a first aid kit not that the latter would have helped considering the way the lions were killing off the people.

The guide dropped his keys in the grass and the step-daughter used her camera's zoom to verify that the bright shiny thing is one of the keys so they know it's worth leaving the vehicle which may put them at risk of being attacked by the lions that kept them in the vehicle on the afternoon of the first day and all night.

Why didn't they use the camera to check for lions before leaving the vehicle to get the keys?

Why didn't they have binoculars with them in the first place? It wasn't a visit to a zoo where the animals are sure to be closer than they are in the great outdoors of Africa. The guide didn't have any, either.

Unbelievable. No water and no binoculars.

Yes, they had a little water with them that quickly ran out, but when the girl went to get water, she didn't take any containers with her. Surely, she wasn't planning to carry water back in her palms, was she?

I don't mind when what goes on is plausible such as when the woman panicked driving away from the attacking lion, got them lost, and damaged the vehicle by driving too fast off-road.

I didn't mind so much that they didn't have whistles or red bandannas to signal for help or didn't think to gather enough grass from around the vehicle to make a fire on the roof of the vehicle to signal the helicopter or use a mirror from the vehicle or a compact, if either the woman or teen step-daughter had one.

I didn't mind that no one thought to take inventory of what was available to them until the third day...except they waited until the THIRD day.

However, I did mind that they didn't think to even try to collect rain water during the first night so they'd have something to quench their thirst.

Come on movie people, especially the writer(s). In the WILDERNESS, in AFRICA, without enough WATER to last them through the first afternoon.

Puh-leeze, gimme a break.

The Downside of Learning to Play a Musical Instrument

Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to learn how to play a musical instrument. Back then, it was the organ. My parents enrolled me in a package of ten piano group lessons that I complained about because I was too young to appreciate having to wait around for 40 minutes of the hour-long lessons while the two other students received their 20 minutes apiece.

(Not that I'd appreciate waiting around for 40 minutes now, either.)

It was too boring for words and the little electric piano the teacher had us using sounded terrible. There was absolutely no joy in the experience that I had eagerly anticipated and my parents never tried it again.

In my teens, I got myself an acoustic guitar, some instructional material, and tried to teach myself to play. I thought I was doing fairly well and enjoyed the sounds I was making but quit because I didn't know it was normal for fingers to hurt like crazy until calluses built up on tender skin.

I'll spare you other painful details with more instruments in the intervening years because those two examples should suffice for you to get the big picture.

During my road trip in 2007, I bought an instructional book by David Harp that came with a CD and harmonica from the REI store near San Diego. It was different because it didn't have songs like other music books but taught riffs for blues and rock songs. They were very easy to learn and I was imitating a train with whistle the first night. Maybe it wasn't music in the sense of playing a melody, but it sounded good to me and, most of all, it was fun!

Until I misplaced the book and CD.

Last year, I bought a book and recorder from the Wal-Mart children's toy section for about US$10. Being adult about it, I refrained from buying one of the translucent bright red or blue or purple recorders and settled on a solid, sedate, ivory; not that I wasn't tempted to get one that was more colorful.

Several times last month, I watched "Australia" on HBO thinking more and more, "I can do that" whenever the boy played "Over The Rainbow" on his harmonica. So, I got my harmonica and copied the tabs for the song off the Internet.

Except the song doesn't sound right.

Getting another copy that doesn't sound right either, but in different places, I spent over three and a half hours one Thursday night with them and my harmonica making a third set of tabs that sound right to me.

My lips still hurt on Saturday.

This time, I know not to give up entirely as I did with the guitar, but what do I do in the meantime? I still want to make music and even my sporadic, paltry attempts are deeply satisfying.

Another thought that crossed my mind was, "What if I get another episode of Bell's Palsy?" although I've been at least 95% free of it since Christmas. With a minor sense of not being 100% okay, I decided that I need something else that's travel-sized to alternate with the harmonica. That way, should I lose control of one side of my mouth again, I could stick the mouthpiece into the other side and still be able to play.

I went back to the recorder and played through the lessons to see why I quit. Ah, yes, I remember. Lesson 7 introduces a note that requires me to uncover the thumb hole. That was the show-stopper.

You see, my thumb has a mind of its own.

When I tell it to cover the hole, by golly it's going to keep that hole covered no matter what. As a result, when I tell it to uncover the hole, it yields only with intense reluctance after much earnest protesting. When I tell it to cover the hole again, it yells at me to make up my [blinking] mind. There's no point to switching hands because both thumbs are in cahoots.

I hate being chewed out by my own body.

After a week of fighting over that single note, I'm thinking there's got to be something better for me.

My remaining options appear to be an ocarina or a tin whistle, also called a penny whistle although many are no longer made of tin and none cost only a penny anymore.

The ocarina is an old South American wind instrument that was made popular by Giuseppe Donati, an Italian brickmaker circa 1850. Issued to soldiers during World War I and II, ocarinas are having a revival because of "The Legend of Zelda" game series by Nintendo. Ocarinas are available in different styles, materials, colors, and prices starting at US$5 with the number of holes ranging from four to twelve.

The ocarinas with four finger holes that don't have thumb holes sound like they'd be the best for me. Those that have six or more holes may instigate more arguments with my thumbs.

Researching tin whistles is encouraging because they are reputed to be the easiest instrument to learn, don't have thumb holes (Hallelujah!), sound better than recorders, and are available in a wide range of prices. Since even professional musicians use whistles that cost US$25 or less, there's no snob appeal in having an expensive whistle. The thing that matters is whether or not you enjoy the way your whistle sounds.

The sole negative is that since the increased popularity of Celtic music that started back in the 1970s and because the majority of Celtic music is in the key of D, it's hard to find instructional material in the key of C even when it isn't Celtic music.

The good part about the soprano or high D whistles that beginners typically use is that they're easier to play than those in the key of C because they require less air. Because the holes are closer together, it's less of a stretch which may be a determining factor for the small hands of children.

Another good thing is that tin whistles all use the same fingering to produce the notes. Once learned, what one has to do to play in a different key is merely get a whistle in that key and get used to the whistle's different length and spacing of the holes which isn't that easy when it's something like a low D.

Learning on a whistle in a key other than D results in the student not sounding right only when playing along with an instructional CD or with other people unless they're also using instruments in the same or a complementary key.

Hannah Kate Kinnersley wrote in her Wall Street Journal article, "Music Lessons: Learning To Play The Tin Whistle," that learning to play a musical instrument is good for children because "Studies say that children who play an instrument score higher on math tests and show improved concentration. Adults who play score better in memory tests."

The advantages of getting an inexpensive, travel-sized, musical instrument is that you'll have something to entertain yourself and others during overly long waits, car and bus rides, hiking rest stops, or evenings by the camp fire; you'll be able to cheer and comfort yourself when you're lonely, and it won't cost much to replace if lost.

In addition to these advantages, it's ideal for your preparedness Grab & Go bag because it doesn't require batteries.

Even if you don't count relaxation or the sense of accomplishment that comes from making your own music, it's all upside. There is no downside to learning how to play a musical instrument.

All you have to do is select an appropriate instrument and find the method of learning that works best for you.

Review: Cascade II Rain Poncho

A poncho is a poncho, right? All you have to do is slip a poncho over your head and slough through the rain.

Wrong.

It's all about the material and the hood.

Although my first rain poncho served well in keeping me dry, the hood was terrible, sliding back whenever it could which was whenever I wasn't holding onto it. Plus, even when I did hold on, it couldn't be pulled forward enough to shield my face.

The next poncho was too heavy and hot. The hood was better, though. I could wear a ball cap to have the visor shield my eyes and the hood would stay on even when I turned my face from side to side.

That's why I'm happy to review the Cascade II poncho that I got from Campmor two years ago. It's made of polyurethane-coated, mini-ripstop nylon with a DWR finish that's lightweight, comfortable because of the breathability, keeps me dry, drip-dries quickly when hung over the tub, and folds up small to be stored in the included envelope. I selected the Backpacker model because the extension would cover my hiking pack and travel pack when worn as a backpack without decreasing the amount of coverage for the back of my legs.

Fortunately, I've yet to have the opportunity to try out the extension.

As for the rest of the poncho, in very windy conditions, I felt the fabric was flapping more than I was used to with my other, heavier, ponchos and rectified it by attaching 5/8" (15mm) Velcro® adhesive-backed coin sets along the sides. I sewed them on with a few stitches in the center of each coin using thread matching the color of the poncho because I wanted to be sure they stayed in place.

One coin set went about 7" above the snap on the left side because I felt the arm spaces were too generous for me. (The sturdy snaps are located midway between the shoulder and bottom edge.) Another coin set went onto the same position on the right side. Enough space remains for me to pull my arms inside the poncho, like a turtle pulls in its legs, without needing to unfasten the Velcro® which permits me to carry items like my purse and another article under the protection of the poncho.

The third coin set went about 9" below the snap on the left side. Another set went on the right.

The next two sets went near my knees on the left and right sides of the poncho. I thought they might have to be unfastened to allow me to walk, but they never hindered me.

[Updated July 9, 2011 - During one heavy thunderstorm when I probably should have been indoors, the driving wind separated the Velcro coin sets near my knees making the poncho flap uncontrollably. As a result, I decided to put eyelets in so the sides can be tied together.]

In perhaps what was a fit of overkill because I had the rest of the pack of coin sets left over and nothing else to do that evening, I then stitched a couple of pairs equidistantly between the snaps holding up the extension flap.

(Tip: I laid the poncho on a flat surface and ensured the sides were straight and even before peeling off the protective film and attaching one side of the Velcro® adhesive coin. Next, I put the opposite side of the coin onto its mate. After double-checking that everything was still even, I removed the backing film, and pressed the poncho onto the adhesive back. Then, I separated the coins and stitched them into place.)

The best part of the Cascade II poncho is the hood. First, it has a zipper to close up the neck opening with a storm flap that has Velcro® closures to keep the storm flap secure.

Second, there is an adjustable Velcro® tab in the back of the hood to customize the fit of the hood.

Third, there is a visor on the hood.

Last, there are drawstrings to snug up the face opening so that only my eyes show, protected by the visor, of course.

These features have kept me completely dry inside this poncho that is the best I've ever used. After two years, it still is in excellent condition and looks only lightly used.

In addition to those features, perhaps more for preparedness and hikers/backpackers than for travelers, there are 3/4" wide loops at the corners to help create a groundcover, tent, lean-to, or roof over a hammock.

[Updated July 9, 2011 - On the regular poncho, these loops can be used to tie the edges together instead of using Velcro or installing eyelets to keep the poncho front and back from flapping in the wind. Using the loops isn't practical on the backpacker version because the loops on the back are at a different level than are the loops on the front.]

The care instructions are:

"Machine wash cold
Gentle cycle
Mild detergent
Tumble dry no heat
Do not iron
Do not bleach
Do not dry clean."

The Cascade II ponchos are available in two sizes, Regular and Long, and in two models, Regular and Backpacker:

Regular poncho, item #77704, measures 52" x 80"

Long poncho, item #77705, measures 52" x 104"

Regular Backpacker poncho, item #77706, measures 52" x 92"

Long Backpacker poncho, item #77707, measures 52" x 118".

Highly recommended.

Boonie Update

During the torrential downpour early this morning, I donned my boonie and Cascade II rain poncho from Campmor, tucking the hood inside the neckline of the poncho to test my new hat, and walked across the street and back.

Happily, only a small spot on the top of my head got slightly damp. The brim kept the rain off my face and neck quite nicely and the comfortable chin cord prevented the hat from blowing away.

After returning indoors and removing my rain gear, I placed my fists inside the boonie to stretch it before setting it over an upside-down pot to dry. It took all day because it's cotton; I occasionally stretched it again to keep it from shrinking.

In conclusion, the boonie performed as well as I hoped it would under the conditions. Even so, I'm going to apply a silicone water-resistant spray to ensure my head stays dry under the worst conditions although I really should remain indoors if it rains as hard as it did this morning.

Score! (P-51)

Paring down my road trip packing list to better suit air, train, and bus travel for a trip to Europe with a friend one of these years, I decided to try a P-51 can opener in lieu of my Ekco Miracle Roll thinking that the longer length would give more leverage and make the P-51 easier to use than a P-38.

I debated getting a Swiss Army knife (SAK) with a wood saw for cutting bread, a can opener, a cap lifter, and a corkscrew, but wanting to keep the weight down, unable to make up my mind as to which model of SAK, and already having a folding churchkey opener that has a cap lifter at one end and a can punch at the other, a plastic knife that cuts French bread quite well, and thinking I can always buy a corkscrew if I need one, I decided to go ahead and get a P-51 instead.

The only problem is that the P-51s are available for sale on Amazon at ridiculously high prices and two of the three listings don't look authentic to me because the bodies don't have the same taper, the notches are squared instead of rounded, and the blades are more straight. Sure, I could order them from someplace else online, but shipping for only the one item makes it cost-prohibitive.

Yes, there's a surplus store in town that sells some military items, but it's never had what I've wanted in the past. Worth a phone call, but not a drive, I called anyway and was happy to hear that both the P-51s and P-38s are available. The manager said he'd set a couple aside for me because they go fast.

The next afternoon, I bought three P-51s for only US$0.89 each and one P-38 for US$0.59 feeling like I scored major points for the acquisitions since they didn't cost much and are authentic, being stamped "US Shelby Co" and not made-in-China imitations. When I left, there were only three P-51s left in the store's bin.

One of the P-51s I bought is for my suitcase and the second is for my key ring for impromptu meals when I get the urge to keep driving instead of returning home to eat and don't want to pay for restaurant food. That one is hung between a couple of keys to keep the sharp point from accidentally nicking me; I may decide to put a piece of tape over it, later. The third is for a spare.

I bought the P-38 for comparison purposes because it's been a long time since I first tried one and rejected it in favor of the Miracle Roll can opener. Not only is the P-51 easier to use than the P-38, the longer blade makes it go faster around the can. I'm really happy that I got the P-51 because it's considerably smaller and lighter than my Miracle Roll and is easy to use.

For those who may be concerned about a lid's sharp edge, my dad taught me to go slowly at the end. About a quarter of an inch away from being cut off completely, the lid will lift slightly. That's when to stop. If you cut any further, the lid will drop back down. Remove the can opener and insert a fork under the lifted edge to raise the lid letting the uncut metal act as a hinge as you bend the lid back. That way, you don't risk your fingers being cut.

Preparedness Progress Report

This September is the sixth annual National Preparedness Month. Since I asked the question, "Are You Prepared?" last year, it's time for a progress report.

How have you been doing with your own preparedness kits? Do you have a bug-out bag and a plan in case you have to evacuate? The Red Cross says that the disaster most Americans face is a home fire. It'll be good to have a grab & go bag ready for your escape because a fire is sure to destroy at least some of your belongings and put you out of your home for awhile.

Through Sept. 30, 2009, you may save 10% on a Red Cross radio by Eton at Radio Shack by presenting this coupon.

For my part, although I got bogged down and didn't finish writing my Essential Systems series by now as planned (please stay tuned), I did continue with my personal preparedness by getting:

- A new city street map for my home town and the closest large city.

- A pack of N95 masks in case my bandanna isn't enough.

- A new, packable, top SPF-rated, sun hat.

- A pair of Yaktrax Walker traction cleats.

- Katadyn Micropur water purification tablets.

- A new emergency blanket. I already had a Space Blanket and decided to augment it with another that's sturdier and has grommets.

- Fox 40 Mini and Micro whistles for my key rings and to replace the one that was on the lanyard of my compass in my hydration pack that was stolen when my car was broken into in 2007.

- An Eton Microlink FR150 solar/crank-powered AM/FM/NOAA weather radio and light that can recharge a cell phone if the card for the free plug is returned to Eton.

- Two boxes of can't-blow-out birthday candles and 3x jumbo cotton balls and petroleum jelly for fire starters and tinder.

- New LED flashlights and upgrading my incandescent Mini Maglites to LEDs.

- Solar charge flashlights to ensure having a light that's safe for magnetic media if my flashlights with batteries happen to die.

- A UCO Mini candle lantern to safely hold tea light candles and an oil insert for the original UCO candle lantern I've had for a few years because I've always wanted an oil lantern and in case I run out of the UCO candles.

- A Trangia alcohol burner and a Sterno collapsible stove to accommodate the Trangia burner, cans of Sterno, and Nuwick candles.

- A Freshette feminine urine director.

- 100 feet of 550 lb. Type III paracord with a seven-strand core.

- A crow bar to keep in my car trunk and 8-1/2" pry bar for my pack.

- ResQMe and LifeHammer car escape tools.

Last week, I went through my emergency food supply and pulled out everything that expires within the next six months. Moving them to be used for daily meals, except for my tea that I buy elsewhere so still need to do, I replaced them with fresh stock for my emergency stash along with new gallon jugs of water.

Two days ago, using wide adhesive Velcro strips because I didn't want holes drilled, I mounted a LifeHammer sans bracket onto the front slope of the center console of my car leading down to the hand brake so it's accessible by a passenger, too. The soft, loop side of the Velcro strips went on the LifeHammer for comfort and the harsher, hook side went on the car.

Unfortunately, I somehow managed to misplace my Freshette during the past few months which demonstrates the disadvantage of robbing Peter to pay Paulette since Paulette doesn't seem to have it any more. Oh, well. It will either turn up somewhere or I'll have to buy another because it's a great convenience that I don't want to have to do without now that I've used one.

Along with other miscellaneous items, I still need to build up a cash reserve because if the electricity goes out, credit and debit cards won't work.

Documentation is an entirely incomplete category for me. I can't scan my important papers because my scanner is broken and I can't photocopy (or scan) them because I put the key for my fireproof lock box in a place that's so safe, even I can't find it.

The Essential Systems: Personal Attire

Personal Attire is the second of the Fifteen Essential Systems for preparedness, travel, and outdoor activities.

The checklist -

For the E-kit:

1. Face mask, rated N95 or better.

2. Earplugs.

3. Goggles for eye protection.

4. Nitrile gloves.

5. Non-breathable plastic rain gear.

For cool to cold weather, non-cotton clothing as follows:

1. Underwear and socks, tights, or stockings, with 2 extra pairs of wool socks and liner socks.

2. A base layer of thermal underwear, top and pants.

3. Insulating layers that can be worn or removed as needed. This includes a top and bottom and, typically, a sweater. Aim for loose, thin layers that trap air rather than tight or thick layers.

4. A wind and water protective shell such as a jacket or coat that shields you from the environment to include rain gear such as a rain coat, rain suit, poncho, and umbrella.

5. Shoes or boots.

6. Knit scarf, winter hat or knit cap, or ski mask, and gloves or mittens.

7. Sunglasses, a retaining cord or strap, and sun screen.

For warm to hot weather, preferably cotton clothing except for socks:

1. Underwear and socks with 2 extra pairs of socks and liner socks.

2. A base layer consisting of nothing more than a cotton T-shirt.

3. Insulating layer(s) protecting from sun and heat consist of long-sleeved top and long pants or ankle-length skirt.

4. The protective shell for warm weather doesn't require much more than rain gear to protect you from the environment although some locales will require a windbreaker.

5. Flip-flops, sandals, shoes, or boots.

6. Wide-brimmed hat, cotton bandanna, sun screen, and sunglasses with a retaining cord or strap.

7. Insect repellent.

8. Bug head net and/or mosquito netting (optional).

9. Blaze orange safety vest (optional).

10. Traveler's vest (optional).

Discussion:

The E-kit (E = "Exposure") is to protect your airway, eyes, ears, and skin against dust, noise, and hazardous materials. Nitrile gloves are the order of the day to avoid allergic reactions to latex. Get the cheapest plastic rain wear you can find such as those that are sold in pouches small enough to carry in a pocket. You don't want nylon or Gore-Tex® because breathable fabrics are not suitable for this type of protection and since the hazard most frequently experienced by families is a house fire, you hopefully will never have to use it and needn't spend much money on the gear. Having said that, the kit should be with you at all times especially if you live in a location likely to have dust storms or earthquakes (lots of dust) or receive falling ash or poisonous gases from a volcanic eruption.

The E-kit could also be useful to protect yourself from exposure to nuclear, biological, or chemical hazards caused or transmitted by people, but that depends on your knowing when to use the contents. Since the NBC (or BCR for biological, chemical, and radioactive for you Brits) hazards aren't readily detectable by ordinary citizens, it's more likely that by the time you're alerted, it'll be too late for protection and you'll need to seek medical treatment for having been exposed. If you aren't in the affected area, please stay away unless you're First Response personnel or don protective gear as may be appropriate.

The important thing to remember about cool-weather clothing is that it's to protect you from hypothermia and the best materials for this type of insulation are wool, silk, and synthetics. Wool is the best natural fiber because it retains its insulating properties even when wet. Cotton is the worst fabric because when damp, it conducts heat away from the body faster than other fabrics. Only down is worse for insulation than cotton when wet. Whatever material you select, avoid getting it wet, which includes sweating, because moisture speeds loss of body heat.

Conversely, warm-weather clothing is to protect you from the sun and hyperthermia which means that cotton is the best fabric to help keep your body from over-heating. Synthetics are getting better in this regard, but cotton is still king. Wool socks are still good in warm weather because wool keeps germs at bay.

To aid your body's natural cooling system, wet your bandanna and place it under your hat to help the heat escape your scalp, or tie it around your neck. Other areas to wet down are your trunk, front and back, and groin area. Wetting the inside of your elbows and backs of your knees will also help you keep your cool. There are specialty neck bands, caps, and hats that have cooling beads inside that, when soaked in water for only 5 - 30 minutes, expand to help keep you cool without getting you wet for as long as 3 days. Look for brand names such as blüBandoo® and MiraCool™ or make your own using medium-sized polymer beads; you'll need only about 2 teaspoons of beads to make a cooling bandanna for your neck.

For those times when daytime temperatures require you to wear cotton to avoid hyperthermia but evening and overnight temperatures require insulative clothing to prevent hypothermia, you'll need both types of clothing on hand. Even though you may be out only for the day, being prepared means that you'll have a change of clothing that includes a thermal base layer and non-cotton top and bottoms to change into in case you get caught out overnight. Include a knit cap and gloves because, although only about 10% of your body heat is lost through your head instead of the 30% to 45% as previously thought, our heads and hands are much more sensitive to the cold and we need to keep our brains warm to avoid fuzzy thinking that may negatively impact life and limb.

Brightly colored clothing such as blaze orange will help you be spotted by rescuers and prevent you from being shot by hunters. If you're hiking or engaging in photography or bird-watching during hunting season, it's a good idea to cover your pack with a second blaze orange safety vest to avoid getting shot in the back. When I was in Idaho in the fall of 2006, everyone was gearing up with blaze orange because a teen boy had been shot during the previous season while in an open field after harvest. You'd think the clear visibility would have been enough to keep the boy safe, but, unfortunately, it wasn't. One woman said that she had her husband experiment with various bright clothing that he had been using. When he was only a few feet into the woods, even while wearing his favorite red shirt, he blended in so well that he was completely lost from sight.

In case of fire, travelers should dress in natural fibers for a flight or train trip and avoid synthetics because they melt into skin. Because I'm allergic to wool, please be considerate and don't wear it when you'll be sitting next to me or anyone else who might be allergic to it or the nasty chemicals that are used to process the majority of wool products.

Since most airline emergencies don't involve fire but do require evacuation, a traveler's vest is a good accessory to have. Not only do the many pockets minimize what you'll have to carry in your bag, briefcase, or purse, a traveler's vest carries more than the typical waist pack. Should you have to evacuate, which means you shouldn't be taking the time to get anything to take with you, will need both hands free, and shouldn't be hindering other passengers from exiting the plane by taking up space with your personal bag; your essential items will already be on you and ready to go. A journalist's or photographer's vest will also serve.

Gore-Tex® is the best fabric for rain gear if you can afford it because it breathes. If not, look for nylon. I love my Gore-Tex® boonie and wished I could find another that's more fashionable for when I dress up. (I bought another hat a little while ago, but haven't had the occasion to try it out.) I also like the Cascade II poncho that I got from Campmor so much that when it was in my pack that got stolen a couple of years ago, I bought another and immediately stitched on a couple of Velcro® dots to keep the sides from flapping in the wind. If you already have a poncho and dislike the hood, try wearing a baseball cap under it. Not only will the cap's visor help keep the rain off your face, it will help the hood behave better when you need to turn your head. Unfortunately, if it's anything like the hood of another poncho I have that keeps sliding back, I don't know of anything that will help.

Shoes that are quick-drying and anti-microbial are ideal. Hiking boots protect your feet and ankles and are water-resistant. Sandals and flip-flops, while cool and comfortable, don't provide much protection from dirt, insects, or snakes. However, they don't take much room and a pair should be included for a change of footwear and for shower shoes or to wear to the pool or beach.

A ski cap takes the place of a knit cap and scarf because it covers the face, ears, and neck as well as head. It may be rolled up if only a cap is needed. I got mine in blaze orange.

Convertible mittens are great because they give both the warmth of mittens and the dexterity of fingerless gloves. Concerned that I might forget and leave mine behind somewhere, I got them in blaze orange, too, then got another pair in black for dress occasions.

You need sun screen whenever you're outdoors for any length of time. Clouds don't block ultraviolet light or prevent sunburn as many tourists in Hawai`i discover to their dismay on overcast days. Even though you wear a hat, you still need to apply sun screen because snow, water, sand, and expanses of concrete reflect the sun's rays up under hat brims. Check the label to ensure that the product shields from both UV-A and UV-B rays.

If you don't want to give up your favorite baseball cap for a wide-brimmed hat, tuck an edge of the bandanna under your cap to make a skirt that covers your neck and ears.

Sunglasses are a must to protect our eyes from developing cataracts or other problems. Here in the U.S., all sunglasses are required to protect from UV rays. Ideally, we'd all wear wraparound styles to protect unshielded light from entering from the sides, but since the fashionistas reign...

In regards to insect repellent, you should be aware that the popular ingredient, DEET, will melt plastic and is reputed to lower the efficacy of sunscreen by as much as 33%. You'll need to apply sunscreen first, as usual - at least a half hour before going outdoors, and use a higher SPF rating, and wash your hands thoroughly after applying a DEET product to prevent melting your plastic storage containers, your compass, and even your clothing, if it's made of recycled plastic. Combo products containing both sunscreen and insect repellent need to be used judiciously since DEET shouldn't be reapplied every few hours like most sunscreens. The CDC recommends using separate products to be safe.

Ultrathon™ contains DEET, but since the 3M Company figured out how to make a single application last as long as 12 hours, Ultrathon™ contains a lower concentration of DEET than other products. Please use with caution, anyway, because I don't know if the concentration is low enough that it won't melt plastic or irritate some people's skin the way that other products containing DEET have done.

Alternatives to DEET are Picaridin and the plant-based oil of lemon eucalyptus that should not be used on children under 3 years of age. Permethrin is another effective product that's applied to clothing and gear instead of directly onto skin. Spray Permethrin onto clothing and other material and let dry before wearing or using; it will last through laundering for several weeks.

While long clothing may be preferred to using chemicals against the bugs, unless the clothing is loose and thick enough, mosquitoes will bite right through the fabric. Younger children, especially babies in their carriers or strollers, would be better protected by mosquito netting. A bug head net should be big enough to wear over your broad-brimmed hat with extra-fine netting to keep out no-see-ums, biting midges, and sand flies, etc., and may fold up small enough to stick in a pocket.

This system should be one of the easiest to assemble because you're likely to have nearly everything already, they're readily available, and several of them are low-cost. Just set some of your older clothing aside for your emergency pack and get whatever other items you need.

[The previous article in this series is "The Essential Systems: Navigation."

The first article in this series is "Preparedness: Introducing the Fifteen Essential Systems."]