Following Things To a Logical Conclusion

One of the things I'm trying to do in my preparation is to follow things to a logical conclusion. Here's an example.

I worry a great deal about EMP. When I first read William Forstchen's One Second After and then read the government's report on EMP, I was floored. My first reaction was "Why hasn't this happened already?" One airburst nuclear weapon, properly calibrated, could take out much of the electrical infrastructure and computer networks of the United States. We have enemies in the world, and we also have some unprincipled rivals. It must be an awfully tempting thought for them that with one blow, the U.S. could be removed as a major power. Naturally, there would be risk of consequences, but if a nation state could create enough doubt about the origin of such an attack, it might effectively decapitate us before the orders to retaliate could be given.

So when I evaluate TEOTWAWKI scenarios, EMP is one of the main ones I think about.

I work in a town some 40+ miles from my home. If an EMP strike were to occur while I was at work, this means I'd have to walk home (my prep is too valuable to walk away from to consider simply hunkering down where I work). Since my wife and I commute together, this means we'd both have to walk home.

So what follows? 40 miles is too far to go in a day, and we don't have friends along the route. This means we'd be camping out for at least one night (I think two, because I'd want to go slowly and avoid dangerous encounters with other people). In addition, we work on the far side of a fairly large city. We'd have to face a choice early on -- walk through it or go around it. There's no doubt in my mind we'd try to go around it.

So just from these observations, it became clear to me that a bug-out bag must be in the car at all times. The bug-out bag has to be equipped to support a three day walk. It needs to contain a shelter, a means of starting a fire, and a supply of water. It needs to have a change of socks and comfortable walking shoes. It needs a medical kit. It needs a compass and some very good maps of the terrain in between work and home. It might need weapons. In short, I need to envision what might happen on the three-day adventure it will take to get home, and take reasonable steps to ensure I'd be prepared.

From a simple thought -- "An EMP event is possible and must be considered" -- comes a lot of preparation. Get the first things right and everything else follows logically.