Spencer Platt/Getty Images
You probably haven’t come across the term “technolithic”, but it’s just another way to describe those times when some of the fundamental elements of our comfortable lifestyle disappear for awhile, or more simply, a big chunk of civilization takes a holiday. You’re likely to find yourself in the alarming twilight zone between our technologically advanced comfort-zone and something more akin to the simpler lifestyles of distant ancestors. Truth is, even if you do lose the lights — and maybe the water and your wheels — there are still plenty of innovative, practical devices (along with a dose of common sense) that might help you through the worst.
Before we go any further, let me introduce myself. I’ll remain anonymous, but you should know that I’m one of those far-sighted souls (or a hopeless paranoid, depending on your point of view) who spent a large part of the last decade of the Cold War getting ready for Armageddon — redoubt in the mountains, anti-radiation suits, shelves filled with immortal foods… you know the drill. While we never nuked ourselves back to the Stone Age (although some sorry excuse for a human may still set off a big one), I did learn quite a bit about what works and what’s dumb. Some things have changed — the curve for compact and efficient technologies is way up — while others have stayed the same: threats, however far off, still abound.
Beyond Power Outages
Many of us have been through power outages and water main breaks; some have gone through evacuations due to floods, fires earthquakes, and hurricanes. All are part of life in the 21st-century, and for most of us, all are far greater likelihoods than getting stranded in the wilderness, going off a bridge in a car or getting stuck in quicksand. While it never hurts to be prepared for all eventualities, the best bet is to anticipate the most likely challenges to your safety and survival. My own take on what lies ahead has evolved away from the abrupt far-reaching catastrophe of the Cold War era to some version of James Kunstler’s dark, powerful, The Long Emergency, a futuristic scenario of the prolonged decline of modern society. Read about it on Treehugger. But just when you’re about to shrug off a renewal of superpower rivalry, along comes a saber-rattling Putin and a new Russia all pumped up on natural gas. Go figure.
Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last decade, you can’t help but sense that the world seems to be turning a tad more unstable, unpredictable and just plain dangerous. Anticipating assaults by both nature and man, communities and governments across the country are urging everyone to make a commitment to emergency preparedness. You may well have to do without the basics for awhile, but advances and innovations in all types of gear and gadgets have made facing the unknown a whole lot more manageable.
Interestingly, much of the research and development behind the most recent generation of ingenious, portable “off-the-grid” devices comes from a few global technology companies who have made a commitment to helping disadvantaged millions in the developing world. Good examples are the super-efficient woodstove and lighting systems produced by Philips Electronics. Although these superbly-designed devices are not sold here, their fundamental technology can be found in backpacking and survival gear readily available in our part of the globe. But let’s go full circle. Take away our trusty power grid for an extended period and most of us might welcome a little corporate benevolence too.
Along these lines, here’s a chilling take on what the future may hold — from a 2006 article that’s been making the rounds in survivalist circles: “What if calamity were predictable?”
Information courtesy of the U.S. Army Survival Manual
Tags: Adventure, Disaster Preparedness, Survival, Survival Techniques
comments ( )