Comment by cbanek | Hacker News Reader

Comment by cbanek | Hacker News Reader

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"Pandemic. It's been a while since the highly developed world experienced a devastating outbreak, but it may be premature to flat out dismiss the risk. In 1918, an unusual strain of flu managed to kill 75 million people."

Well, this aged well! I'm glad to see this very reasonable take so far.

One thing that I don't see mentioned is a "go-bag" or "bug out bag", which I find to be one of the more useful preparations. Have a bag with some clothes, your documents, medication, whatever you might need if you need to leave your house in a couple of minutes notice for a couple of days. Super useful even if it's not a total life and death emergency, but you need to see or help someone, and won't know for how long. A lot of good advice here about what to put in it though! And a lot of useful advice on good skills to have.

One other small note: always have a roll of paper towels and toilet paper in your trunk in a bag. Just trust me on this one, you'll thank me later.

Also: Headlamp Ultility knife (aka leatherman) Charging necessities for your phone Some food that can be eaten cold (I use protein bars) Water container Note pad and pencil emergency poncho

I also have a portable water filter; it wont get everything but since I live in Florida most likely there will be fresh water nearby.

Source - boyscout, millitary time

If you're getting a water filter, I would avoid the Life straw and get the Sawyer mini instead - it's back flushable, has thread attachments and features a smaller membrane size.

Note: Not affiliated, just really like their stuff

Unless you really care about saving 1 oz of weight get the regular sized mini. Better flow rate and lasts longer when you really need it. I’ve switched back to the full-size for backpacking because the trade offs for the mini aren’t worth it.

I was amazed how SODIS could help you in actual disaster-like situation and how effective it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection

Assuming you have access to transparent PET bottles and sunlight water filtration is basically solved.

Thanks. Using a Katadyn myself; it has an adjustable float and that thread attachment is a lifesaver.

I do have some lifestraws, but never had to use them.

I actually had an earthquake bag, supplied with several N95 masks. Around march when COVID started becoming "real", I felt very fortunate to be able to retrieve them and send them to my parents. This has in my view vindicated the necessity of having a plan and basic supplies in case disaster strikes.

Yeah, luckily I have a box of medical masks (though not N95), for flu season, where I will give them to people or wear them myself, so I felt happily prepared in the mask department!

What's the use of N95 masks during an earthquake? For dust?

I only found out recently about mormon prepper culture.

Mostly for dust. A lot of the smoke/dust particulate matter from the 9/11 attacks has been linked to nasty cancers, even among civilians simply fleeing from ground zero.

Most N95 masks are for construction to deal with dust and harmful particles from insulation and other materials. These masks are noish approved and not FDA.

I am curious what construction workers used in lieu of them. Cloth masks isn’t going to give you the protection of harmful dust from finishing a countertop or doing wood work.

Also for forest fires - the smoke.

Don't you at least need a carbon filter for smoke/fumes?

Probably, but from experience, a cloth mask is enough to stop your throat from burning if you're far enough away from the epicenter.

> Well, this aged well! I'm glad to see this very reasonable take so far.

The article is from 2018... we got a glimpse with SARS/MERS and had sheer luck that these two didn't turn into 'rona-scale pandemic.

If SARS had turn pamdemic... damn. I don't think I realized how bad that would have been. Still can't.

This page is at least 5 years old.

> I'm glad to see this very reasonable take so far

What, ultimately, were preppers better prepared for?

Anyone could make a cotton mask out of a t-shirt. The mask policy was a governance error. Having N95 masks as preppers did is as far off the mark from "cotton mask" as not wearing a mask at all, preppers would still run out of N95s, they'd still use a cotton mask, N95s were still overkill.

Besides masks, was there anything the public really needed that it could not get but could have stored inside their basement? Toilet paper? That's what you will summon as, "Preppers averted a life crisis."

How are you going to doomsday prep "elective surgeries" and "ICU beds?" That's what there were real shortages of. It's ridiculous.

> Having N95 masks as preppers did is as far off the mark from "cotton mask" as not wearing a mask at all,

No, it's not (overkill and inadequate are not equivalent).

> preppers would still run out of N95s

Worst case, preppers with N95s would have a window with more time to source/make masks taking pressure off and giving more bandwidth to deal with other concerns, of which there were plenty as the pandemic took hold.

> Besides masks, was there anything the public really needed that it could not get but could have stored inside their basement? Toilet paper?

Toilet paper, basic but nonperishable foodstuffs (there were shortages of all kinds of staples early on), and a number of other things (even things that were technically available were often not practically available or much more time intensive to acquire on short notice because of limited occupancy for stores and delays in online shipping.)

> What, ultimately, were preppers better prepared for?

We were better prepared for the toilet paper Apocalypse with a bidet.

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