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Surviving With Survivor Jane
The path to preparedness…
There is a plethora of intelligent and helpful people in the survival and preparedness community and today I have the pleasure of featuring one of the best, Survivor Jane, in a short interview where she shares some of her insight into preparedness.
Make sure to check out Jane on Facebook, Twitter, and don’t miss the wealth of knowledge that can be gleaned from her website.
Q: If I were limited to only one firearm for survival, I would own a…
A: Actually, although I do recommend that a person have the three (3) essential firearms in their home for protection and security; a handgun, shotgun and rifle, I always stress that we need to think outside of the box for self-defense and not rely solely on firearms. For some having a firearm could be more detrimental than helpful in a tense situation. But, to answer your question in a generalized way, if I were put in a position of only having access to one firearm, my hope would be that it was a shotgun.
Q: The single most overlooked prep item is…
A: A poncho. It is one of the most versatile items you could have in your survival preps. It can keep you dry and warm, it can be used to create shelter, you can use it for water collection and, if need be could hold enough air to keep you afloat in water – just to name a few uses.
Q: The first thing to disappear following a disaster will be…
A: Well this really depends. What I mean by this is … during Hurricane Katrina I saw a lady on TV wading in chest deep water holding a Dyson vacuum cleaner over her head. A person’s priorities can get displaced before and after a disaster. I remember going into a store to buy some hurricane lantern oil before Hurricane Andrew and people were panic buying. Some of the things they were getting made no sense. It was as if they knew they needed to buy but just didn’t know what to get. I always suggest to people that they need to think ‘basic needs’ to help then decide what they need to buy. Water, food, shelter, warmth, protection and, first-aid. But if I had to say one thing … okay two things, I’d say plywood and generators.
Q: If I could have a retreat anywhere in the world, it would be…
A: Lucky me, I actually moved to my retreat in Western North Carolina from Florida (which to me is a death trap should a major catastrophe happen – with only one way out.) I now live in a passive solar home on a defensible piece of property, with a large garden and small farm animals. To me the size of the property is not as critical as water. If you don’t have access to a stream, pond or river then a good rain water collection system is a must. This is huge! No water – no life.
Q: In my opinion, the best commercially produced survival food on the market today is…
A: Hmmm. Okay that’s a hard one. I am all about redundancy and that goes for food as well. But, I don’t think people should just rely on commercial “survival food” alone. I think we all need to have the basics like flour, sugar, rice, salt, spices and cornmeal, etc. (all stored in appropriate air tight containers or packaging.) Then have canned goods, dehydrated foods and preserved foods. And lastly, commercial survival foods. So many people get caught up in the consumer part of survival by try to buy everything without giving thought to what happens if these items are destroyed, go bad or any number of other factors that could come into play. Don’t be like the one person that I spoke with who purchased tons (a lot) of #10 cans of mac/cheese for their kids because that is what they were used to eating at home. Then during Super Storm Sandy they made some of the canned mac/cheese for the kids and they hated it. Now they are stuck with all those cans. I would suggest trying several of the commercial survival foods brands – there are definitely differences in taste and texture. Remember these survival food cans may be all you have to eat so you want to like them. Also, don’t just store your food. Use it and rotate it. First in – First out. This goes for the commercial cans too.
Q: The items that I have on me at all times include…
A: My go-bag is with me at all times. But I always have paracord in the form of a bracelet, and in my EDC bag I carry a folding knife, a multi-tool, a poncho, small first-aid kit, water purification tablets, iodine tables, a face mask, gloves, small manicure set, goggles, a solar blanket, a small flashlight, a whistle and a self-defense pen.
Q: The last book that I read was…
A: I am currently reading a great book for review titled: ‘Jingling Our Change’ by Kelli Otting and, without creating a spoiler alert – I’ll suffice it to say it’s not too far from where this Country may be heading.
Q: One thing that I would miss the most if an EMP shifted my lifestyle back to the 1800’s would be…
A: Hmmm, again. I am really working hard towards an off-grid existence but I’m not quite there yet. I guess I’d say one thing that comes to mind is ice to keep things frozen until I can preserve them. When it rains it pours at harvest time and sometimes all I can do is freeze something until I can dehydrate or preserve it.
Q: Stuck on an island and forced to choose one person to survive with, I would pick…
A: Wow. Good question. I’d have to say I’m pretty happy with my prepper-mate – so I’d pick him – forced or not. Trust is very important when forming survival alliances. Just because someone has skills and knowledge does not mean they will have ‘your’ best interests when the poo-hits-the-fan.
Q: The vehicle I drive is…
A: I don’t really like to get into too personal of information and this question kinda boarders on that. Now if you would like to know what vehicle I’d like to have… it would be one of those awesome all-terrain armored vehicles with the machine-gun mounted on the top. Just sayin’.
Don’t miss out! Tomorrow, August 1st, 2013, Survivor Jane will be live Tweeting from the Press Event & Premier (On Location) of National Geographic’s new series, Doomsday Castle.
www.thepreparedninja.com
twitter – @preparedninja
Source: http://www.thepreparedninja.com/surviving-with-survivor-jane
