Dirt and Glitter

Every day, it appears that the world is simultaneously burning, flooding and tearing itself apart at the seams. Not to be outdone by Mother Nature, we’re doing our damnedest to shred whatever’s left. 

The case for immediate action may not be clear to everyone, and this is okay. Well, it’s okay until it’s not. Preparedness and prepping are becoming increasingly mainstream, but they’ve not reached the saturation point yet. To some, the idea of being prepared amounts to little more than hoarding toilet paper and having food beyond what you can eat in a week or two is silly.  Others are a bit further down the road, though they still take a tentative approach and stick their toes in. To avoid being labeled as “crazy,” or crossing the threshold into “excessive,” they maintain a quantity that strikes a balance they deem as adequate.

Some need no coaxing. They’ve drunk the Kool Aid but don’t know where to start. It’s easy to become overwhelmed to the point of inaction given the gravity of events around us. Lacking clear and focused guidance, the risk of doubling down on faith in the system and assuming everything will work itself out sooner or later is very real. Of course, I’m going to propose what I always propose; get ready! 

But what does that mean? What am I encouraging you to do to get ready for? If you follow my advice, how would getting ready look? Let’s unpack this one because while everyone’s specific circumstances are different, the actions taken to become better prepared are very similar. I’m going to take a minute to remind you that we all live very differently based upon education; economics and financial resources; culture and religion; physical and cognitive functionality and a host of other factors. Simply put, we live how we live. It’s important to do what you can rather than comparing yourself to others.

For this post, I’m going to look at the Midwest Heat Dome and the Polar Vortex, and steps to prepare for and recover from such events. I’ll also address the intention you should have behind your preparations. Prepping in a city apartment is not only possible, but practical and easier than you may think.

Midwest Heat Dome

Midwest summers are generally hot, but the last two summers have been brutal. The heat arrived earlier than usual and covered an area that placed over 100 million people at risk from the Upper Great Lakes to the New England area. Additionally, the humidity was higher and that served to diminish the effectiveness of the air conditioning. In some areas, temperatures were projected to reach 100 degrees. I’ve never been a fan of hot weather and, fortunately, I was able to partially escape the heat at night due to my overnight shift schedule. I slept during the hottest parts of the day. Even so, for the few hours I was awake before going to work, being comfortable was a challenge. Here’s how I managed.

o   I kept the windows and curtains closed during the hottest hours of the day.

o   Rather than trying to cool down the entire apartment, I camped out in different rooms at different times of the day. It was much easier and far more effective to cool a small space.

o   I limited my outside physical activity to the early morning hours when it’s typically cooler.

o   I don’t know if I drank a gallon of water a day, but I stayed hydrated.

o   I’m not a big fan of microwaves, but I made smart use of the microwave and toaster oven as a means of not adding extra heat to the apartment.  

o   I kept complaining to a minimum. Focusing on an already miserable situation only creates more misery.

o   I was ready to run out and grab ice, if necessary.

o   The solar power bank was ready, just in case.

I find the cold less stressful than the heat. Also, you can only take off so much in the interest of keeping cool and there are decency laws against public nudity!

Polar Vortex

The older I get, the more frequently I reassess my claim of being a cold weather guy. Granted, our ability to endure cold changes as we age, but I’ve always felt there’s a sort of sinister beauty to the cold. The snow and ice glitter in the moonlight. The world is a quiet, almost transcendent place when blanketed by the first heavy snow. We salt, sand and plow to restore some semblance of normalcy because we need to continue living and working. Here’s how I navigate the cold.

o   I keep the heat at a very low setting to knock the chill off the air. My bedroom is almost uncomfortably cold, which is exactly how I like to sleep.

o   Unless I have a pressing reason to leave the house, I don’t. I ensure that I have whatever additional groceries on hand that I’m likely to want.

o   On my days off, I embrace my inner layabout and I dress for both warmth and comfort, even though I’m indoors.   

o   Unlike in the summer, I’ll use the oven precisely because of the excess heat.

o   I have a cooler and ice packs ready, even in the winter!

o   I also have an indoor-rate, propane space heater on standby.

o   Solar power banks, camp stoves and other resources were dusted off and ready, just in case.

 Extreme heat, cold and other weather-related phenomena can overwhelm the grid resulting in extensive power outages. The intention behind preparing is the certainty that you’re ready, you have the necessary resources and you’re resilient. I have years of knowledge and several months’ worth of food supporting me though these seasonal events, so I really wasn’t worried. Aside from the forecast of the weather being projected to last a week, I knew that I’d be able to manage it. That’s the point of becoming ready, resourceful and resilient.

Check out the following resources for additional helpful tips and useful guidance for things such as 72-hour kit checklist for apartments and urban bug out bag lists. Black Out Kit, Warm Room Set Up, How I Got Ready and Getting Started.

The snow and ice melt, and the tranquility is chased away by the urgency of the world we’ve created. In the end, glitter fades, dirt lasts.