What do you pack for their emergency kit?

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technicaljoe

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#67975 12-Sep-2010 12:04

Following up to my Solar Power Recharger post (really love the constructive discussions there, learnt heaps!)

I'm curious to find out what do fellow geeks pack for their emergency kit :)

One immediate question I've been contemplating is: Consider one could only pack so much into one crate. Would one pack lots of gizmos or a few ultimate gizmos. For example, a hand crank radio plus a flash light, or just a cellphone with FM radio and torch function and plus a charger?

tardtasticx

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#378984 12-Sep-2010 13:28

In this situation is power still connected?

technicaljoe

248 posts

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#379085 12-Sep-2010 18:37

Powerless I'd say :)

tardtasticx

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#379089 12-Sep-2010 18:47

Then I'd take the first option. Because that phone would be useless because you couldnt charge it. Whereas the first one is manual powered. Clever :D

technicaljoe

248 posts

Master Geek
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#379103 12-Sep-2010 19:30

Ahhhhhh I see what you mean now.

I suppose you could pack one of those nifty solar power charger MikeyJ came up with, then that could potentially change the packing priority :)

CADMAX

274 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#379104 12-Sep-2010 19:34

well i was all good, had the generator going :) 35kv goodness hot wired into the house :D

but other than that all the camping gear and the likes.

manta

249 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#379142 12-Sep-2010 21:27

I would not RELY on solar charging anything, at best you get a trickle charge. IMO solar phone chargers etc are a gimmick unless you live in the tropics which I imagine you don't!

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technicaljoe

248 posts

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#379150 12-Sep-2010 22:02

manta: So, what would you pack then?

Linuxluver

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#379209 13-Sep-2010 09:07

technicaljoe: Following up to my Solar Power Recharger post (really love the constructive discussions there, learnt heaps!)

I'm curious to find out what do fellow geeks pack for their emergency kit :)

One immediate question I've been contemplating is: Consider one could only pack so much into one crate. Would one pack lots of gizmos or a few ultimate gizmos. For example, a hand crank radio plus a flash light, or just a cellphone with FM radio and torch function and plus a charger?

In a real disaster, the top of the list is shelter and water. So a plastic sheet (at least, if not a tent) and either 5x20 litres of water or some chlorine pills to kill bacteria in any water you happen to stumble across. Or both. Your plastic sheet can also help you collect rain water. Containers to put it in. Food? Tins of baked beans maybe....and tuna or salmon. Stuff you can just open and eat if you can't heat anything. Comms? A radio or cellphone with radio. Maybe even one of those phones that can act as a local "walkie - talkie" without a cell station operating. Some method of charging it - trickle, if need be. Learn how to charge a cell battery (or any essential battery) from some regular batteries of any type. You just have to touch some small wires to the correct battery contacts at either end. Work out which ones. Work out how many you need in series or parallel. Regular batteries may be plentiful while power sources may not.

Shelter, water, food, comms. The rest is luxury.

The more you know about "how stuff works"...the easier survival gets.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....

jaymz

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#379401 13-Sep-2010 18:51

My "emergency" plan is my zombie survival plan:

Below is taken from: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=48&topicid=58910&page_no=9

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I have built "survival boxes" which I have stored under the house, in the roof, and in the garage. Inside each box is 8 cans of baked beans, can opener, gas cooker and gas, small bag of rice, bottle of water and a pot.

I also have a backpack packed and ready to go with the following:
- Compass
- Swiss army knife
- survival blanket
- small hatchet
- 15 meter length of rope
- small flashlight (AAA battery)
- Spare battery
- full water bottle
- signaling mirror
- poncho
- small binoculars
- first aid kit

Next to my backpack is my hiking boots which I have worn in.

I do not own a firearms license so cannot buy guns (would only get silenced weapons) but I do have an axe, and hunting knife.

When it happens, I would take my car as far as I could with my gear in it. As well as my mountain bike for when car travel fails.

I have worked out that getting to my safe place (family farm) will take 1 hour 10 minutes to get to from my house - good traffic - in my car.

I am planning to bike there this summer to work out how long it will take to get there. If I have an idea on how long it will take to get there, then I can supply myself for the trip.

Also, I would attempt to travel with at least 2 others, they will allow protection during the night where travel would be difficult.

That is a basic run down of my plan, there are some finer points that need ironing out but I feel it is pretty good :)

technicaljoe

248 posts

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#379427 13-Sep-2010 20:09

LinuxLuver: I'm starting to wonder if it's time for me to go back to school again pick up some new knowledge! I knew I should've complete my HAM radio training...... and shouldn't have spent my 6th form years playing connect 4 in physics class......

jaymz: Gosh... I'm speechless... That's a pretty detailed plan! :O

jaymz

1136 posts

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#379433 13-Sep-2010 20:17

technicaljoe:
jaymz: Gosh... I'm speechless... That's a pretty detailed plan! :O

You can NEVER be too prepared when zombies are involved! It doubles as a natural disaster plan quite nicely though

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manta

249 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#379441 13-Sep-2010 20:32

technicaljoe: manta: So, what would you pack then?

Good question. In addition to the food / water type stuff I'd pack a wind-up fm radio to keep in touch with what is going on around me and I'd be prepared to be out of voice contact for a while. As we found in Chch the other day, we only had cell coverage since the cell transmitters were on battery back-up and we were told they were going to fail within an hour or two. Luckily the power came back on for us and for the transmitters. But in a sustained loss of power a cell phone is going to be as much use as a one legged man in an arse kicking competition.

I have a 1 Kw generator (on the boat in Auckland) that would be awesome in a power-outage; it uses tiny amounts of fuel and provides enough AC to run a few bulbs, a charger etc.

The cigarette lighter socket in the car is great too for charging those small DC powered devices like laptop, phones etc.

And I'd have a normal phone that doesn't need a DC supply to run - a LOT of people were caught out on that one.