The Importance of Air Quality

Air - the top priority on my Pillars of Disaster Preparedness. That’s because without it we don’t last long. If fact, as I sit writing this post here in Buffalo NY, we are currently under a “Very Unhealthy” air quality warning. This is due to forest fires in northern Ontario and Quebec that are over 500 miles away. This is a classic example that something that has happened far away and is completely out of our control can endanger your life. Watching the news, I see that this event is having a major impact on the entire Northeast including the cities of Boston and New York. Millions of people are being exposed to unhealthy air pollution and those with already compromised respiratory functions will be adversely affected. Here is a screen shot of our current Air Quality Indicator:

So, what can we do? First, we need to stay informed. Watch the news and weather reports and look for any announcement on your local emergency management apps as they relate to the severity of the situation in your area. Next, take appropriate action to protect yourself and your family. In our case here we are being asked to stay indoors if possible and close our windows and doors to limit our exposure to the tiny particulates in the air. If you work outside or must go out for some reason, then just try not to exert yourself as much as you might otherwise. Also, when driving in a car it would be best to have the windows closed and select the air flow to recirculate.

Wearing a KN-95 mask is never a bad idea to limit your exposure to particulates. And if you can move to a different location where the air is clearer that is always a good idea as well. Of course, if you start to feel the effects of exposure it might be a good idea to rest or seek emergency medical care if necessary. 

There is also a large selection of “gas masks” available on the market as well. It really all depends on you. What is your level of comfort? At what point do you feel you have taken reasonable precautions for you and your family. The answer to that question will be different for everyone.

If you find this blog informative and would like to support it, you can go to this website’s Resource page and click on our Amazon Associate link. We get a small commission on anything you buy. Also, we are always looking to add other Associate links as they relate to Disaster Preparedness. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

(These are my personal observations and opinions, yours may differ. Also, I sell and recommend certain products and services here and might be compensated for such recommendations.)

The 4 Pillars of Disaster Preparedness (Part 2)

 3. Shelter

For some people this one might not seem like a big deal. However, if you have ever been in a storm, you know the value of seeking shelter. It can literally save your life. Shelter can also be different things in different circumstances.

For example: Your car might be a good place to seek shelter in a thunderstorm, but a bad place if there is a threat of Tornados.  A tarp might be good in a rainstorm, but not so good in strong winds, or your home is a good place to shelter (in-place) unless it’s threatened by a hurricane.

The problem of course is that we don’t always know which type of disaster we will be facing. That said: You should always have at least a tarp in your Go Bag for shelter, maybe even a small 2- or 3-man tent (remember to consider the weight). These will, in most cases keep you out of the elements.

Out of the elements is the key. What you are trying to prevent is the effects that bad weather can have on you physically. Heat stroke and hypothermia can incapacitate or even kill you.

Part of your Disaster Preparedness Plan will be to identify which type of disasters you will most likely encounter and then plan your shelters accordingly. Even then, you need to know how to use/set up the shelter before needing it. You don’t want to be setting up or building your shelter for the first time when your life depends on it.

4. Food

Of the 4 Pillars of Disaster Preparedness food is probably the one thing you think about the most but can go the longest without. However, food does more for us than provide nourishment. It also provides a sense of normalcy and wellbeing, lifting our morale and mood.

If you are outdoors and engaged in activities that you normally don’t do you will be burning more calories. Replacing those burned calories will help you keep your strength up.

Some Go Bags come with high density high calories food bricks. These are generally light weight, taste okay and will get you by for a few days. They also don’t require any preparation to eat, they are like granola bars. I wouldn’t want to rely on them for more than a few days though. I prefer the freeze-dried dehydrated option. These taste better; however, they take a little more preparation (usually boiling water).

Another advantage of freeze-dried dehydrated food is the variety of food options and their shelf-life. Typically, they are anywhere from 20 to 25 years. That’s a long time! And you can select everything from fruits, vegetables, and meats. They even have Gluten Free options.

I’ve seen where some people put cans of food in their Go-Bag. I wouldn’t recommend that because of the weight and short shelf-life. Freeze-dried dehydrated is more expensive, however, the lightweight feature, variety and extended shelf-life more than make up for the difference.

There you have it. My 4 Pillars of Disaster Preparedness. The foundation on which your Go Bag should be built. I will go into greater detail on all these Pillars in future posts.

If you find this blog informative and would like to support it, you can go to this website’s Resource page and click on our Amazon Associate link. We get a small commission on anything you buy. Also, we are always looking to add other Associate links as they relate to Disaster Preparedness. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

(These are my personal observations and opinions, yours may differ. Also, I sell and recommend certain products and services here and might be compensated for such recommendations.)

The 4 Pillars of Disaster Preparedness (Part 1)

Disaster Preparedness at its basic level is all about preserving the health and life of yourself and those you care about. I believe that it is an expression of love and respect for the gift of life. We can rightly be concerned about the preparedness of our possessions, or businesses, but ultimately none of that matters without the preservation of life.

There are 4 main categories that all our preparations will revolve around. These categories address the 4 essential areas necessary to preserve life in the event of a disaster. They are:

• Air
• Water
• Shelter
• Food

This list will help you prioritize those items you must absolutely pack for any evacuation scenario. Anything other than these or items that support them must similarly go through a rigorous method of prioritization to ensure that you are not adding unnecessary weight to your Go Bag. Your Go Bag must contain the means to provide or obtain these 4 Pillars of Disaster Preparedness.

• Air

H

Have you ever tried to see how long you can hold your breath for? Unless this is something you regularly practice my guess is not very long. This underscores the need for access to breathable air in any disaster. It’s not practicable to carry an oxygen tank in the event of an evacuation (unless it’s medically necessary). So, obtaining clear, clean air may require that you move to a new location (and quickly). This may be the case if you find yourself in a fire or near an industrial accident. A KN-95 mask will offer a measure of protection from particulates in the air, and every Go-Bag should have one. There are other face masks you can purchase that will filter out other lethal gases. Just remember, when adding items to your Go-Bag we must consider their weight.

I’ve mentioned the importance of watching your Go-Bags weight several times already. For more information on that subject see the Blog - “The Bag” subheading “Payload Capacity”.

• Water

You can start to feel the effects of dehydration in as little as a few hours. Go a few days without water and you will be at death’s doorstep. The importance of having access to clean water cannot be overstated. Most recommendations that I have read say you need to have access to about a gallon of water per day. That seems like a lot, but much depends on your activity level and the amount needed for cooking and cleaning (personal hygiene and cooking utensils). 

Water is heavy so you don’t want to carry too much of it. I usually carry about a liter around on hikes and other excursions. Having a way to purify water is vital to supplying your daily needs. Of course, it goes without saying that you have some access to it. i.e., stream, pond, lake.

Boiling water is an excellent way to kill all the bacteria, viruses, and protozoan (the little things that swim around the water). It needs to be a hard rolling boil for a couple minutes to make sure it’s done the job.

There are also a lot of products on the market that will filter out all the bad stuff and some tablets that will do the job as well. I’ll talk about some of these in later posts. Suffice it to say, these products can save you a lot of weight while still giving you access to the water you need.

In my next post I’ll cover the next two Pillars: Shelter and Food.

If you find this Blog informative and would like to support it, you can go to this website’s Resource page and click on our Amazon Associate link. We get a small commission on anything you buy. Also, we are always looking to add other Associate links as they relate to Disaster Preparedness.

(These are my personal observations and opinions, yours may differ. Also, I sell and recommend certain products and services here and might be compensated for such recommendations.) 

Rothco Tactisling Transport Pack

 

Rothco's Tactisling Transport Pack features a sling over-the-shoulder strap, which can swing to the front for quick & easy access to important compartments including a concealed carry holster attachment. The tactical pack has a large zippered main compartment with water repellent lining, zippered mesh interior pocket & zippered utility pocket that is ideal for storing all your gear. Not only does the pack have an option for concealed carry, it features 2 large open top accessory pockets with hook & loop closure that’s perfect for a laptop and a zip pocket with horizontal vinyl document sleeve and 2 accessory pockets; there is nothing this bag can’t carry. The one-shoulder backpack has been designed for comfort and versatility; the padded mesh shoulder strap features a 2” quick release buckle with metal clip, ¾” whistle side release buckle, adjustable Y-Shape quick release cinch strap with D-Ring, and storage strap compartment. The pack also features a padded mesh back that allows for breathability, top carry handle, MOLLE Loop Attachments, key ring, and top cinch strap.

 Specifications

My Review:

This pack is marketed as a large size, and I would agree with that. It has one large compartment and three smaller ones on the front. The large compartment also has six smaller ones zippered and Velcro inside. You can fit quite a bit of gear inside the pack. It boasts a concealed carry compartment on the back which could be used for other items should you choose.

It is of good construction and the compartments have a plastic lining making it waterproof. It is a heavy-duty Denier Polyester construction which is very durable. The stitching is well done and doubled up where it needs to be. The zippers are adequate; however, they are made of plastic which could be problematic with age. It has nice mess backing that allows for air circulation making it comfortable to wear.

This pack is unique in that it has only one main strap that crosses over your front. There is also a small auxiliary strap that comes in from the side to help stabilize the bag when carrying heavier loads. It has a carrying handle on the top and a top and bottom cinch strap as well as a cinch strap inside the main compartment.

This unique design enables the bag to be swung around from back to front without taking the bag off. Consequently, the bag is also designed to be opened horizontally (from the side). There is a convenient yet discreet handle on the front that makes it easier to swing it around. All the front compartments are also designed to open horizontally (from the side). This means that to open the bag when not wearing it you need to set the bag on its side.

I personally own this backpack and its little brother the Compact Tactisling Shoulder Bag (I will review that bag later). I do wish they made one in between the two as I feel this one is a little too big and the Compact a little too small (you just can’t make some people happy).

The backpack has M.O.L.L.E. webbing on the front and along one side. The side webbing could be used to attach an external water bottle if you like. For an explanation of the M.O.L.L.E. system please click here.

This is not a lightweight pack, around 3 ½ lbs. You can get this backpack in Black, Olive Drab, or Coyote Brown.

Overall, I like this backpack. I have traveled with it on airplanes as a carry on and taken it on hikes. The fact that you can access it without removing it is handy.

If you would like to purchase this backpack you can either contact me or click here and it will take you to my website.

(These are my personal observations and opinions, yours may differ. Also, I sell and recommend certain products and services here and might be compensated for such recommendations.)