here's an idea for being prepared... NO GADGETS!

[allenC]

I think that getting rid of "clutter" and old stuff that you'll never use is a very good idea.
But I think you should keep your gadgets if you actually will ever use them, or if they serve as an alternative or "back up".

If you ever need to evacuate your home town because of some disaster, I think that the most important things that you take with you are:

1) Important documents (driver's license, marriage certificates, birth certificates, deeds, insurance documents, etc...)

2) Cash or items that can be easily traded or sold for cash.

3) and most important...take your "plastic" (credit cards and debit cards).

You will certainly need access to your bank account (hopefully with plenty of emergency money), or access to a generous credit line.
And I think that the bank you use should be one that is common across the nation.
Some folks in the gulf region had trouble getting money out of their accounts because they used small local banks--and those local banks were flooded and without power, and so their computers were down.

Good luck,
Allen.

 

[cardimon]

And Phillips petroleum fairly re-imbursed us for our inconvenience.

Man, were you LUCKY.

 

[Blades]

Worthy of commendation Midget - I've just begun a similiar purge myself. Thank heavens for Ebay.

My favourite move (and literary) quote of all time is from Fight Club.

"The stuff you own.....ends up owning you"

That's is what I was thinking about when I read Midget's post. "Fight Club"(excellent movie and book).
Sometimes I think about trying to get all my stuff in my military issue duffel bag. Or two. I don't know if I can, but I would like to be able to say everything important to me(besides my family) is in these 2 bags. Throw them in the trunk, and be gone.

Midget will be the modern day "Kung Fu". A small backpack, a laptop, a flute, and he is happy. Good luck, and I wish you well Midget.



Blades

 

[Lone Hunter]

Lets see I should get rid of all my stuff and live like someone who just went through a disaster (no blankets or bed etc) for ever. So IF a disaster comes I'll be ready???

 

[Midget]

Lets see I should get rid of all my stuff and live like someone who just went through a disaster (no blankets or bed etc) for ever. So IF a disaster comes I'll be ready???

well you make it sound like i'm living in misery, having gotten rid of my furniture/possessions.

to be honest with you, i'm actually kind of enjoying it.



and i didn't make this decision based on all the natural disasters that have been going around. i've been slowly getting rid of my things for a while now, it's just that now with people evacuating their homes it made me think about how easy it'd be for me to do the same.

 

[Lone Hunter]

I understand what your saying. I could take everything I care about and load it in the mini van, but while I'm here I like my "stuff".

I've said it myself, if a guy in a grass hut who owns a machette and a pot has a hurricane wipe out his home he'll be back in a new home the next week.

 

[Blue Jays]

Hi Midget-

Your point is taken about simplifying one's life...but this is essentially creating a self-imposed austerity program with no clear benefits. A decision to rid oneself of blankets, pillows, and bedding wouldn't be such a clever idea if one must subsequently relocate to a colder climate on short notice. It creates discomfort for 99.998% of the time that one is here on this planet.

As far as "gadgets" are concerned...having items like food, water, hydration packs, knives, compasses, firearms, communications, money, waterproof garments, and lighters can prove to be lifesavers that are worth far more than their weight in gold. Hassles of ownership be damned.

In summary, it is kind of like the statement that our mothers made while getting us to clear our plates at dinnertime, "Eat everything because there are children starving in China!" It didn't matter what we did or didn't eat, the starvation rate in other places remained unaffected. A decision to reduce the number of available tools will make one more mobile, but it certainly won't increase likelihood of survival and it will absolutely reduce comfort in the interim.

~ Blue Jays ~

 

[Steven Roos]

Simplicity is important, but taking so far is just too much IMO.

I've been working on thinning out myself in anticipation of an upcoming move. Still got a long way to go.

What I really need to to is get everything consolidated enough that I could get what is important out fast. Still need clothes, blankets, and food in my truck...

 

[Midget]

Hi Midget-

Your point is taken about simplifying one's life...but this is essentially creating a self-imposed austerity program with no clear benefits. A decision to rid oneself of blankets, pillows, and bedding wouldn't be such a clever idea if one must subsequently relocate to a colder climate on short notice. It creates discomfort for 99.998% of the time that one is here on this planet.

~ Blue Jays ~

haha, i live in michigan. while it's possible i'll relocate to a colder climate than ann arbor... it's not likely.

 

[Midget]

Hi Midget-


As far as "gadgets" are concerned...having items like food, water, hydration packs, knives, compasses, firearms, communications, money, waterproof garments, and lighters can prove to be lifesavers that are worth far more than their weight in gold. Hassles of ownership be damned.



~ Blue Jays ~

and gadgets are cool, don't get me wrong. man, i live in this forum. but it's the excess that was killing me. i've got some reliable knives, why keep those other ones around? why need two bikes? more than two zippos?

i had/have stockpiled so much crap over the years, when i looked back on it i shook my head and wondered what i was thinking. i'm not getting rid of bare essentials, i'm trimming the side dishes and emphasizing the main course.

i repeat, a lot of this is for my own personal satisfaction. most of it has nothing to do with personal preparedness, survival, or propagation of my gene. instead, it's about uncluttering my life, clearing my mind, and focusing on simplicity (hey, you're talking to the guy who rode a brakeless, fixed gear bicycle).

the culmination of my satisfaction will occur the next time i have to move-- i'll put all my stuff in one car and relocate in one simple trip. see, i'm still a student (out of state) and very soon will be commissioning O1 in the army. in the past 4 years i have been through 6 living domiciles. the move has always been horrendous.



on a side note, when considering the personal preparedness aspect, i am richer. i sold most of my stuff on ebay, and probably averaged about a 50-60% return on the initial investment. not that great, but considering my income, if i were to keep saving instead of blowing it on toys, i'll have a secure little egg to fall back on should the need arise. and... the day that cash ceases to be king... well, then we're ****ed.



thanks for the input everyone. lots of interesting comments/opinions/philosophies going around.

 

[Midget]

come on. my apt is awesome.

yea baby.

(not pictured are my car and a bunch of tools on my workbench. i haven't figured out what i'll do with the tools, although i'm putting my foot down that i'm not giving up my dremel for the world.)

 

[jackknife]

You're doing good Midget, my hats off to ya!

 

[allenC]

That stuffed critter is a riot!!!

 

[Blue Jays]

Hi Midget-

Eliminating truly duplicate items makes sense if the second (or third, or fourth...) item has no serviceable reason for being around. At the same time, does it really benefit you to be without blankets, furniture, lamps, and things like that? My inclination would be that my favorite tables and chairs would inevitably "bite the dust" in a disaster...but at least I'll have someplace to sit and read my books until that day comes. Isn't entertaining friends somewhat problematic in a barren apartment?

If you've seen the movie HEAT with Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Val Kilmer you know the classic line about being "prepared to walk away from anything in under a minute" and how that applies to the concept of preparedness. While many possessions are important to me, I'm ready to make my way with a well-planned bugout bag filled strictly with useful tools. Very little of my other stuff would even get a second thought in an emergency.

Thanks for starting an interesting thread,

~ Blue Jays ~

p.s. Your bike looks like a cross between a mountainbike (fat tires) and a timetrial bike (handlebars, vertical dropouts, radial wheels) that looks pretty interesting. What is it?

 

[ThinkOfTheChildren]

Do you actually ever bring anyone over to your place???

Also, on a sidenote, if you really want to do anything at all to "secure" that pistol, you should do better than a triggerlock. Otherwise just keep it unsecured (which is just about the same level that a "triggerlock" is).

 

[Midget]

Hi Midget-

Isn't entertaining friends somewhat problematic in a barren apartment?
.
.
.
.
.
.
p.s. Your bike looks like a cross between a mountainbike (fat tires) and a timetrial bike (handlebars, vertical dropouts, radial wheels) that looks pretty interesting. What is it?

oh, my apt... my apt, by nature, is dank, unwelcoming, dirty, and extremely run down. that's right folks! for only a low, low price of 650.00/mo. this apt can be yours!

sucks to be a student, doesn't it? i live in the basement of a house converted to an apartment. but, so my landlord would have be believe, i'm paying for the location. all in all, my friends (and i) try to spend as little time in my apartment as possible. i do nearly all my work in the library or my office.




as for my bike, it is a trek 1000c converted to a fixed gear. tires aren't fat, they are 700c x 28. there are vertical dropouts, i had to use an <a href="http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/images/hub-white-eno.jpg">eno eccentric hub</a> to convert to a fixed gear.
handlebars are syntace time trial bars, 38cm w/ 800mm drop.
the rear wheel is aerowheel-ish because when i built the eno hub in that rim was the one on sale.




r

 

[pjenkins000]

very interesting thread. one thing my mother has always said when cleaning: "when in doubt, throw it out". it's a usefull phrase. throwing things out is very satisfying. i need to start selling on ebay tho.

Pete

 

[cardimon]

"when in doubt, throw it out"

I prefer YES, NO, MAYBE. All the definite NO's are disposed of. Everything else you keep. Repeat as needed. Very effective.

 

[Carlos]

I lived that way for a long time. I likewise had the idea that I wanted all of my possessions to be able to fit into one backpack.

I spent over 10 years living that way (pretty much a completely empty room), and experimenting with it to see how far I could push it.

I now think that a spare but comfortably furnished home is ultimately the way to go. No unnecessary junk or decor or any of that, still minimalist.

I have a small platform bed, with a normal mattress - you spend 1/3 of your life sleeping.

A nice stereo - music is important to me.

A good ergo desk and chair - I spend a good amount of time on the pc, and you can end up in a lot of pain with bad ergos here.

One storage cabinet for various bits of suff, and that is pretty much it.

The key is to just have the stuff that you need. And more importantly, to not be too attached to your stuff. I have no issues with walking away from all of the stuff I own now. In the event of a natural disaster I have no problem stuffing my clothes into my 3-day assault pack and leaving the rest. Ultimately it is the mentality of trying to hang on to your stuff or protect your stuff that gets you in trouble in disaster situations.

IMO: You have one life, make it beautiful and comfortable, yet not burdensome with material possessions. Unnecessary austerity is just as bad as wanton consumerism. Whatever you have, just be ready to leave it behind if the situation calls for it.

 

[StuU]

As a student, I could get everything I owned into the back of small car.

Today, I live with my family on rural place where we try to be as self-sufficient as possible. Well, this ends up getting rather crazy because you end up with tools and materials for just about everything-

*Chainsaws+chains+bars+bar oil+2 Stroke oil+ files +oilers.
*Welder+rods+helmets+materials+clamps+leather aprons.
*Shovels, rakes, axes, snow shovels, hoes, pry bars, come-alongs.
*Tractor, trimmers, air compressor, tillers
*Electrical boxes, wiring, switches, bulbs, breakers, ties, solder etc.
*Plumbing- copper & PVC pipes & fittings, joints, valves, glues, soldering stuff, pump parts & equipment, caps, pressure pumps, etc.
*Woodworking saws, routers, drills, hole saws, grinders, planers, rasps, draw knives, dremel tools, clamps, wood glue, etc etc
*Guns, ammo, sights, bullets, primers, oils, cleaning kits
*Seeds, canning jars, wine carboys, yeasts, pectin, jar caps, sugar, etc.
*All kinds of work clothes, boots, rain parkas, hats, gloves
*Roof repair materials, stove pipe cleaners, fire starters, saws, nails, screws, bolts, metal scrap, metal paints, epoxies, hardware etc.
*Books on addressing every type of problem on a homestead(hundreds)
*Flashlights, knives & multi-tools by the score.
*Car & truck spare parts, oil filters, oil, air filter, brake fluid, anti-freeze, inner tubes, complete mechanical tool set.

Just goes on and on....