On Getting Out of Survival Mode: Musings, Plans, and Questions on 21st-Century North American Life

[Tuxedo Prime]

I was inspired by the premise -- if not the actual execution -- of the "How to survive?" thread that was one of the many legacies of a rather bizarre poster. Having restarted my own life from something like mark zero in April of 2021 (not the first time, either), and having gone through the same wringer that the whole planet went through over the past few years, and having spent chunks of the past 25 years in "survival" mode, and having tried to figure out life at both its early phases and how to prepare for the end in recent years owing to various events: I figured that it might be time to lay down some of my own efforts, canvass ideas from other posters here, and generally help a friend put together a "How to Human" guide (or at least one that works for our current shared society, for however long we have it).

I'll do my best not to throw out random half-baked opinions, and listen to any feedback that gets presented. And hopefully, it'll be of use to more than just one person....

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I like this idea, and I might kinda need it.

 

[Dekafox]

One thing I'll definitely throw out there:

https://beige.party/@AirlockDoc/111255266860380216

Just a reminder for everyone that is feeling overwhelmed with all the political/climate/economic/war news right now.
You can turn it off.
You can step away.
You can do whatever you need to do to put yourself in a better position to handle things.
#mentalhealth matters. Especially your own.
You can Mute, Filter, and Block. You do NOT need to explain to anyone.
Put yourself First.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

Gavin Park: There are other levels to this, Lilah. Avenues of interest I have...one of them being: does Angel even exist?
Lilah Morgan: Are you getting metaphysical on me?
Gavin: No. The guy has no social security number, no taxpayer ID, no last name as far as I know. How can he go down to the building department, or anywhere else in officialdom for that matter?

--from Angel, season 3 episode 4, "Carpe Noctem".

So, that's been a key basic bit of business for me, especially as I have had to deal with various bureaucracies a lot the past few years. So I've started things off by making sure that all my identity documents are filed, locked securely, and (multiply) photocopied in case of mishap. I've also been consolidating my medical records -- thankfully I have a GP that they can all go to. Not everyone does around here. That latter task is ongoing, for the earlier (pre-2003-ish) stuff.

Some documents, of course, such as a driver's license or equivalent ID, would be part of one's Everyday Carry. It's still a good idea to have copies in case of loss or mishap (though -- thanks to the prior version of this thread -- I must insist that a copy would only work as proof of identity to get a replacement, not operating a motor vehicle). Anyone following along, check with your issuing government to see if such is allowed.

 

[MEDdMI]

I might be an outlier. I'm used to change, and adjust pretty fast. I'm not very social/outgoing, but can talk if I need to.
When the pandemic hit, my work place very quickly implemented WFH. I did not get any extended time off. I didn't take up any new hobbies, since I dabble in various ones anyway. I also had TMM and our pets to help keep me company.

There were/are still times when things get overwhelming. Our senior dog recently got really sick and I spent 3 nights with little sleep, worrying and cleaning up after her. I took a mental health day off work and it helped a lot (the dog is doing much better now).

I mostly get my news from social media, which probably isn't the best, but the short snippets are better for me than most regular TV news which loves to amp up the doom.

My worst enemy is my own brain, so I do tend to lean into escapism. Some of the most satisfying things I can do involve creating things. I like trying new recipes, drawing/writing, etc.
It has gotten harder to drown out the negativity, but those briefs moments of peace are great.

Mobile games are my latest bane. They're great for brief distractions, but they suck up so much time and I feel obligated to play/check on them at least twice a day. I'm trying to cut down on them, waiting until the end of the month when I have time off, so I can save pics or whatnot.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

I'm gratified to see that people are talking about the social/emotional components to all this.

Not that I wouldn't get there eventually, it's kind of critical to the endeavour-- but I'll probably be focusing on the physical hierarchy for my own next few posts. That said, I won't ignore and hope to comment on some of the other aspects as they come up....

I will say that the nature of my employment was such that we never shut down or went remote at any point of the pandemic. So I had a front row seat for the panic buying in March 2020, and spent from then to my surgery (April 2021) "dutifully scuttling to work and back", to use a friend's phrase. And, for that matter, from my convalescence wrapping up until now, as well. Stable employment is fulfilling, most of the time, although I can sometimes be subject to my brain deciding to not like me very much.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I was surprised by how much panic buying there was down here. We're normally pretty numb to disaster. I guess the problem is it doesn't take very many people to ruin it for everyone.

Disaster prep really isn't that hard if you don't wait for a disaster to do it. Disaster probably isn't happening tomorrow, and you probably don't need to run out and buy supplies in bulk. Just take the opportunities you have to stock up on extra supplies here and there. It adds up pretty quickly.

 

[Dekafox]

But also rotate those extra supplies(assuming they're something that can go bad). If you just always put the newest stuff in front, by the time you want or need to get to the stuff in back, it may be a year or more out of date. So always put your newest stuff of your long-lasting supplies in back, and keep the oldest up front to use first. Otherwise you may find yourself with nothing but spoiled food when you need it most.

 

[Dekafox]

I was reminded of something else today that most people might not think about - it was only raised to my attention around 2020. Get a CO2 Monitor for better indoor air quality.

Let me start off by saying your air quality inside is likely a lot poorer than you realize for most people. From studies done on air quality, anything over 1200ppm tends to reduce cognitive function by 15%, and 1400ppm can push that to 50%. 1000ppm is usually the highest you want to see it at. For reference, outdoor air in the US tends towards 400ppm.

As I'm writing this, mine is showing 1070, but I just got my COVID vax update and I'm dealing with a fever, so not opening any windows right now. But if I didn't have the meter, I wouldn't even realize the issue, as just one anecdotal example. Typically if I'm not making any extra effort, my room floats in the 800-1000 range, though I've seen it as high as 2000 after waking up here and there.

This is the one I personally use: https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Autopilot-Desktop-Monitor-Logger/dp/B01FYWU2IS/ It's not a portable one though, this one plugs in via USB for power. There's other units too, but don't bother looking at the $30 units as those are basically fake, since a properly calibrated sensor costs actual money to integrate

One of the original threads that introduced me to it: https://twtext.com/article/1223015133116600321

 

[CoffeeHorse]

But also rotate those extra supplies(assuming they're something that can go bad). If you just always put the newest stuff in front, by the time you want or need to get to the stuff in back, it may be a year or more out of date. So always put your newest stuff of your long-lasting supplies in back, and keep the oldest up front to use first. Otherwise you may find yourself with nothing but spoiled food when you need it most.

Though also be aware: the date isn't a super scientific thing. If your supplies are a little out of date, they're probably fine. Less flavorful, but probably not toxic. Don't starve.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

I was reminded of something else today that most people might not think about - it was only raised to my attention around 2020. Get a CO2 Monitor for better indoor air quality.

Let me start off by saying your air quality inside is likely a lot poorer than you realize for most people. From studies done on air quality, anything over 1200ppm tends to reduce cognitive function by 15%, and 1400ppm can push that to 50%. 1000ppm is usually the highest you want to see it at. For reference, outdoor air in the US tends towards 400ppm.

Ahah, yes, we've already kicked off the base of Maslow's hierarchy of physical needs. And yes, thanks to some rather distressing fires in the years before and after 2020, I had been thinking of air quality. I'm currently residing in a, well, fairly generous apartment with plenty of ventilation, but my mother has a CO monitor at her detached house. Neither of us are over granite, so we hadn't worried about radon gas.

I also have the AirVisual app (reliant on both official and volunteer/purchased monitoring stations) for tracking outside air quality, and some N95 masks in sealed bags should they be needed.

Those are the externalities. For internal concerns, well, as mentioned before, I have a primary doctor and am in the process of making sure they have all the co-ordinated files needed. I also see a cardiologist annually, and retain the gym membership that I got back in 1999, when I was a lot more lost-and-confused (but needed answers to the question "Do you have anything worth living for?"). Said gym has a location within walking distance. Scheduling trips has been hard of late, though, thanks to a full-time but erratically scheduled job. So those are things to work on.

 

[Haywire]

Do, or do not. There is no try. -Yoda

I know the venerable Jedi master gets a lot of flak for being a bad teacher because of this saying, but there is a kernel of truth in it:
One of the quirks I have noticed about Survival mode for me is that when I have a list of things that need to get done, I know I can paralyze myself into inaction just trying to decide what to do first, or waiting for things to be 'just right' to start. I spend a lot of time doing just what is necessary to get by. When I get the most accomplished is when I pick something and just do it.
For example: we moved into our current house in August 2020. My son has had a room designated as his playroom since we moved in, but it has been full of boxes of old baby toys and other things that needed unpacked and sorted 'when we got time'. Last month, I finally decided to just focus on that room and do the necessary sorting and reboxing to open it up so he can actually play in it. He loves it, and I find myself wondering why we didn't do it sooner, but the answer is simply because I had to change my mindset from 'I need to work on this sometime' to 'I am doing this now!'

Everyone's situation is different, so obviously YMMV, but I know it has helped me a lot to just choose to do, whether I succeed or fail.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

So, while I'm working on nailing down my documented existence, cardiovascular health, and breathing quality (thank goodness I never took up smoking), my thoughts turn to the next physical level of survival -- water.

Here I'm in pretty good shape, as far as the locale goes -- two major reservoirs and a large river. However, last summer was quite dry, and moving inland, while it would be beneficial for home prices and avoiding coastal issues, may not be so good regarding other climate changes.

Emergency rations are a good idea, though portability becomes an issue the more people and days are involved. I have noticed that 72-hour kits are available from a variety of sources, however. Certainly any disruption of infrastructure lasting longer than that gets us back into the "how to survive" question -- or whether it is feasible to abandon the homestead.

Does anyone else have thoughts on the matter? Besides purification tablets, I can't think of anything I might have missed.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I expect quantity will be more important than portability. I'm not planning on wandering and foraging. I'm planning on staying put and waiting for things to blow over.

 

[Dekafox]

It's also worth considering the manner of infrastructure disruption: A super solar flare(like the one that set off all the telegraph machines back in the 1800s) EMPing all the computers won't do much to natural water resources, but dirty missile strikes could contaminate all the nearby water. Both could cause long-ish infrastructure collapses, but both also have very different impacts on the availability of local water. Something like a supply chain breakdown is far more likely than either, of course, so if you have local well water available and pollutants haven't contaminated it, you're likely fine, if you're thinking forward to those sorts of scenarios.

If you do want to stockpile any, you could fill 2L or 1L pop bottles with water and stick it in the freezer(as long as there's room for it to expand so it doesn't explode the bottle!) - these also make for great ice packs when you're taking stuff in a cooler on a camping trip or out fishing, and they're reusable! Works great from experience, without even factoring in the "keeping cool fresh water around to drink" factor, and means you don't need to spend anything on gas station ice bags, or drain the cooler afterwards.

On day-to-day use of water, may be worth seeing what kind of water you're getting and put filters in place if it's heavy in mineral content or something similar.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

It's also worth considering the manner of infrastructure disruption: A super solar flare(like the one that set off all the telegraph machines back in the 1800s) EMPing all the computers won't do much to natural water resources, but dirty missile strikes could contaminate all the nearby water. Both could cause long-ish infrastructure collapses, but both also have very different impacts on the availability of local water. Something like a supply chain breakdown is far more likely than either, of course, so if you have local well water available and pollutants haven't contaminated it, you're likely fine, if you're thinking forward to those sorts of scenarios.

In my skimming of various disaster-prep videos, I noticed that some content-makers seem less interested in ensuring preparedness for Bad Scenario X than in insisting that Bad Scenario X was Inevitable. Some seemed on the cusp of "accelerationist" as opposed to "prepper" regarding their particular Bad Scenario of Choice, if you take my meaning.
It makes for something of a confusing list of viewing options, if one doesn't have any grounding in the topics.

Of course, it would be nigh-impossible (given my current resource base) to have contingencies for every conceivable large-scale event, but there is at least 72 hours' worth of food and water set aside. Anything longer than that where we would be without assistance from emergency management would likely mean that we'd be looking at some more significant problems....

If you do want to stockpile any, you could fill 2L or 1L pop bottles with water and stick it in the freezer(as long as there's room for it to expand so it doesn't explode the bottle!) - these also make for great ice packs when you're taking stuff in a cooler on a camping trip or out fishing, and they're reusable! Works great from experience, without even factoring in the "keeping cool fresh water around to drink" factor, and means you don't need to spend anything on gas station ice bags, or drain the cooler afterwards.

On day-to-day use of water, may be worth seeing what kind of water you're getting and put filters in place if it's heavy in mineral content or something similar.

The local infrastructure seems to be quite clean, but I do have a filter-pitcher anyway.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

A little bit of an update:

So, after multiple searches to multiple clinics, we found my pre-2005 medical records!

....and the clinic that had them (not the one I was expecting) wants to charge rather a lot for them, too.

Anyway, I got my current General Practictioner (2021- ) to put in a request for transfer, we'll see how that goes.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

My medical record is long but pretty much useless.

Basically I don't get sick unless it's something science doesn't yet have a name for. Normal diseases do not affect me, but if I do get sick doctors will be utterly stumped.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

Admittedly, this quest is mostly just to make sure that nothing of a doctor-patient confidentiality nature gets abandoned in a disused filing cabinet in a medical spa that I've never been to. My congenital heart condition* didn't really manifest until 2018 or so, and I got my current GP in the summer of 2021, or after said condition had been surgically corrected.

Still, with this accomplished it would just be taking care of one last walk-in clinic that I used off and on when in-between doctors, and that will be that. Unless I move out of town or something. Well, at least it will be easier then.

*And about that condition -- no-one else in my family seemed to have it (except possibly my paternal grandfather, but he was cremated long before I was born, so no way to check), and a genetic screening was inconclusive, as none of the known genes were switched on. And yet I very much had it nonetheless....

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

Just a quick note that this season can be super stressful. It's hardly easy to take it easy, but I hope everyone is pacing themselves and staying healthy.