Podcast Episode 011321
Published on January 13th, 2021
By: Alaskan Outlaw

Today, we, the American people, stand at a great precipice. We all stand together at the crossroads as to whether we will travel forward in time together as a strong, well-founded nation, or whether we will be fractioned off into many splinters caused by the consistent demands of a select few, fraught with conflict and violence at every turn. With a constant threat being repeatedly beat into our consciousness, where even the strong can be beaten down by misinformation and discourse that is broadcast through social media threads over the internet in a 24 hour day onslaught that never ends. However, being prepared for whatever our future may hold establishes a foothold in the American survival success story, and it continues this country’s birth narrative from its creation until the present day. Being prepared for natural events reduces the dependency on local resources while increasing the independence of the American spirit. After-all, this is the spirit the drove the creation, and thereafter, independence, of this great nation that we all call home. Many of you have asked me about initiating the necessary preparations for survival. Wondering where does one start, or what does one prepare for? Some have wondered if we have run out of time to fully prepare?

Greetings friends, family members, fellow veterans, fellow Alaskans, and Americans around the globe. Welcome to the Alaskan Outlaw podcast, I am the Alaskan Outlaw, and I hope to be your guide in understanding how to start your preparations for your safety and security. As the world continues to revolve into uncertainty, the necessity for being physically prepared for as much as possible. Whether it be for first-aid purposes, or for overall survival, the need for each of us to “pick up the gauntlet” and become prepared for the uncertainty that lies in our future. This week I'd like to discuss the beginning, the how, what, where, and who, of preparing. Doomsday Prepping 101. I’d also like to welcome the Alaskan Outlaw pirate crew… Prophet, and Nomad. Hoist the black flag boys!

To fully begin to becoming prepared to survive, the first magical step is to set your mind to succeed. Survival at its most fundamental level is a mental exercise, a construct of the necessary willpower to succeed against all odds. In addition, being prepared also includes having the necessary equipment or supplies prior to needing them, for as long as the uncertainty remains. Throughout today’s show, we’ll thoroughly discuss both of the major two ingredients:

The mental mindset is necessary to survive.
The step-by-step necessities for each member of your family as humans, or canines.
When discussing the topic of the mindset necessary to be successful, one must be willing and able to vigorously engage the imagination. Determining what could go wrong, and how to counter the overwhelming panic that will set in. So, how do we do that? In my experience, there are two possible paths:

• We practice the necessary skills with “as real” as possible settings to ensure we ingrained the practices into our “second nature”.
  We make a detailed written checklist that we pull out and follow diligently when the need arises
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Many of us don’t have the thousands of dollars to build practice scenarios or don’t have close ties to other “preppers” who have established practices to teach. In addition, I have met many individuals throughout my years in emergency management who kept telling me they had, and practiced, religiously, a verbal plan. But, when something tragic happened, they were caught unaware, and their verbal ideas were lost to panicked minds, who under pressure, completely failed them. This is the absolute description of the identified checklists. Written words on paper. Very powerful stuff, I promise you.

The step-by-step starts with a written plan to engage the next successful step in the tract to thrive during a catastrophe. I like to consider my emergency plans in three (3) distinct sections:

• Immediate. These are the first steps I’ll take following an event. Ensuring that my fab five are covered. In some cases, the event may not have completed, when I activate this section.
  Intermediate. These are the steps that my path to survival takes after my immediate is complete, until which time I engage the last section,
  Recovery. This is the section that will allow me to move on with “normal” operations following an event.
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Typically, my immediate plan is written on a laminated card I carry with me at all times. This laminated card has step one, then step two, and on until I have reached a place where I can engage the next section of the plan, and so on. While there are pieces of this plan that need to be ingrained in our psyche, whereas the motions become second nature, these steps can become overwhelming when one is also attempting to process what has just happened. Loss, or damage to our self, or our loved ones can really unravel all our plans, and these moments are what define success, even against all odds. When our brains are flush with adrenaline, it makes conscious thought very challenging, this is really where the benefit of having a written checklist comes in. Because having our next required decision made for us, it allows the body enough time to flush the adrenaline out, resuming our normal abilities to think clearly.

To fully understand the idea of surviving the next disaster, let’s look at some basic ideas that we need to look at as far as the supplies for survival

Supplies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends having three (3) days for food stores, one gallon of drinkable water per person per day, as well as several other critical tools. A link to their site can be found in the blog post for this podcast.

• First-aid. This really can be a critical key to successful survival. When catastrophes happen, some medical care systems may be overwhelmed, obviously depending on the scope of the disaster. Having the basic skills for splinting, and bandaging may become critical, especially during the early hours following a large-scale event.
  Fab Five. Maintains a fresh air source, and shelter, in addition to the remainder of that list will be crucial in getting past the major impact of a large scale event.
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Again, our first-steps need to be taken prior to the event, and the best time to start being prepared is right now. Our first major asset to get prepared is our mindset. So, has the current state of your community convinced you to get ready yet? If so, let’s talk about our first steps without going broke doing it. As we start the preps, let’s consider our fab five.

The fab five certainly dictate the immediate section, our action steps should closely adhere to our fab five.

• Fresh air. Our first priority is making sure that we can breathe. So, to this end, masks (which we all got with the pandemic anyway) will be our first step in being prepared.
  Shelter. Shelter means that you have a safe place to be after an event. Whether that be a designated place in your home, or an external building on your property (shed, barn, etc), or a “bug-out” location such as hunting property or the like. Irrelevant of where it is, the main goal here is to be able to stay warm and dry, or cool and dry, depending on your geography.
  Water. Water will become crucial if your service is interrupted, and/or you have a flooding type of event. Fresh drinking water or the method to purify the water is essential. One must know and understand what could be trapped in the air before knowing if rainwater or snowmelt would be safe. Again, having a filtration system sets one up for better success.
  Food. Food is a tricky one. Many people have invested large sums in the military-style, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE)’s with no real idea of the benefit. While the meals are reasonably compressed, they typically only provide one meal per bag, and although they can be eaten hot, or cold, maybe lacking in taste in both cases. In addition, changing diets during a time of upheaval and stress has a tendency to wreak havoc on the digestive system. A better plan is to store additional servings of foods you eat every day. By building a supply of foods eaten by your family every day, a family is better positioned to utilize MRE type meals to supplement your regular meals.
  Protective Gear. Now, this isn’t mandatory like the rule of three, however, it does ensure a higher potential for success. Protecting oneself from simple injuries, and we’ll as a potential surprise exposure to something dangerous. So, this could be as simple as jeans and boots, or it could be full-out chemical warfare (MOPP) gear.
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So, we’ve covered the essentials, let’s look at a couple of extras that will greatly improve the chances for success.

• First-Aid kit (IFAK). These are ideal whenever you have simplistic injuries that one can address without the need for the medical community. However, ensuring that this kit covers the entire unit (UFAK) which also includes a quick grab of necessary medications. When constructing your IFAK, also consider if you are caring for an animal as well.
  Light sources. Both, as an individual, as as an identified location (base camp), which could be a section of your home. Remember, the residential electricity could be de-energized, so ensure you have enough redundant power.
  Heat sources. This may be as simplistic as emergency blankets or additional sweaters, the key is to have more protection than what is needed. For an individual, there can be parts, but at a different level when including a family, or larger group one needs to upscale the heating sources. Again, consider having more than would be expected.
  Cooking sources. This is the basis for longer-term without
  Defensive weaponry
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In conclusion, the mindset of a survivor is one of accomplishment, even before the task is completed. Being prepared is the mental exercise of attempting to imagine every possible situation that could cause one discomfort or danger. In this exercise, one needs to identify every possible need during an event so as to ensure the fab five remain intact throughout. Addressing each of the concerns ensures that the fundamentals are safely covered, allowing the survivor to focus energies on other tasks. I’d like to take just a second and thank the pirate crew for showing up today, I realize that its a tough time of the day for you guys to join us, so I really appreciate it.

As always my friends, I am deeply humbled that you have chosen to spend this time with us. I hope that you stay safe, secure, and ready for whatever comes our way. While the political landscape of the country may continue to be uncertain, being prepared is the best thing we can do to further support our community’s road to recovery following whatever event may happen. Please continue to remain strong, and stay true to who you are. Keep your head on a swivel... Peace.
[Submitted by Mark Weisman]

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