Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Retirement
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 04-29-2014, 08:35 PM
 
253 posts, read 376,747 times
Reputation: 559

Advertisements

I believe in being prepared for whatever might come my way. I also think that a lot of people tend to stereotype folks who describe themselves as preppers. We (I do include myself in that category) are not all the same and we are not all paranoid. Many opt not to carry things like guns, but like to be prepared for emergency situations that can happen at any time.

I live in the northeast so we deal with long winters. I keep an emergency bag in my car that contains some food goods,water, hard candy, a cheap rain poncho,a small pack of tissues, a few plastic utensils,a baggie with some basic condiments from fast food places, tea, an empty plastic coffee can, a bit of cash, a blanket, a first aid kit, 2 flashlights, a lamp that plugs into the cigarette lighter, a pair of sneakers,phone charger, extra gloves, chemical hand & foot warmers,socks and a big sweatsuit. I also keep a couple of tinned candles and matches. There is always a small toolkit in the car. With the exception of the toolkit, it all fits in a backpack. (There are a few things that I'm forgetting, but it's in the car and I'm about to go to bed!)

As a female, I carry a purse when I leave home. It is rather large and I carry things like a lighter, a multi-tool, a tiny sewing kit, a tiny bottle of saline for rinsing my eyes, tea, a couple of granola bars, a small bottle with some basic over the counter meds & a couple of cough drops, hand sanitizer, a few band-aids, post-it notes, a few hygiene items, a small bottle of water, cell phone, fully charged extra phone battery and a set of chemical hand warmers ( I have issues with body temp and cold). My keys are on a "cute" keychain with an LED flashlight, but I also carry a set of useful keychains that include an LED penlight, tiny scissors, and a flashdrive with medical info. There's usually a novel and a tablet computer tucked in my purse, too! All of these items serve a mundane purpose, but are highly useful in a true emergency.

The purse isn't all that heavy to carry and those things come in handy far more often than you might think in everyday situations. I always need my multi-tool to fix something when I am away from home.The rest of my stuff also comes in handy in more unusual situations. When I worked in an office, someone was always coming to me to borrow something from my purse. If I'm stranded in my car during the winter, I can warm up food (with a tinned candle). I can also use those candles to help maintain the temperature in the car. Some of the places that I go, don't get cell phone service. I can stay warm in the sleeping bag and use the chemical warmers to assist with that. Some of my other supplies can be used to keep things sanitary until someone comes along to help me out.

Unlike Happy In Wyoming, It is not feasible for me to carry much of anything on my person. When I'm out and about in the city, I'm usually wearing a business suit and many of the places that I go do not allow firearms. When I'm in a more rural environment, there is a little more latitude but most of my casual clothes don't have useful pockets.

I believe that everyone should be more proactive about emergency preparedness. If you have children or grandchildren who spend time with you, it makes sense to carry a few necessities with you. An incident in 1998 caught our family off-guard and we vowed that we'd never let that happen again.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 04-29-2014, 08:41 PM
 
Location: Toronto, Ottawa Valley & Dunedin FL
1,409 posts, read 2,732,927 times
Reputation: 1170
Why are we talking about guns in the retirement forum?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-29-2014, 08:50 PM
 
Location: 112 Ocean Avenue
5,706 posts, read 9,591,487 times
Reputation: 8932
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wwanderer View Post
Why are we talking about guns in the retirement forum?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-29-2014, 08:55 PM
 
1,107 posts, read 2,272,550 times
Reputation: 1579
I carry a billfold, extra glasses, a cell phone, a comb, and keys. That's it. I travel lightly. Even in winter in MN. I can't imagine carrying around a bunch of stuff.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-29-2014, 09:01 PM
 
11,181 posts, read 10,488,483 times
Reputation: 18618
Quote:
Originally Posted by volosong View Post
Pretty independent, self-reliant, self-sustaining bunch up there. Depending on where you are, snakes are probably the biggest 'danger'.
I grew up in the rural southeastern Oklahoma boonies and can testify that handguns are NOT an effective defense against snakes. Shotshell is better but not as effective as a hoe or machete.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-29-2014, 11:38 PM
 
Location: Idaho
6,341 posts, read 7,703,560 times
Reputation: 14136
Quote:
Originally Posted by biscuitmom View Post
I grew up in the rural southeastern Oklahoma boonies and can testify that handguns are NOT an effective defense against snakes. Shotshell is better but not as effective as a hoe or machete.
I should have been more specific. A .22 revolver with CCI 22LR shotshell is what I'd carry as a snake gun. Of course you are correct. A standard shell in a pistol is pretty worthless against snakes and varmints.

http://www.cci-ammunition.com/produc...=3&loadNo=0039
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2014, 12:16 AM
 
Location: Cody, WY
10,420 posts, read 14,544,206 times
Reputation: 22016
My rattlesnakes discourage city slicker trespassers; my harmless snakes are just that. I've never understood why so many people suffer from ophidiophobia.

P.S. Snakes don't chase people.

Last edited by Happy in Wyoming; 04-30-2014 at 01:46 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2014, 06:33 AM
 
Location: Toronto, Ottawa Valley & Dunedin FL
1,409 posts, read 2,732,927 times
Reputation: 1170
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMartianChick View Post
...

As a female, I carry a purse when I leave home. It is rather large and I carry things like a lighter, a multi-tool, a tiny sewing kit, a tiny bottle of saline for rinsing my eyes, tea, a couple of granola bars, a small bottle with some basic over the counter meds & a couple of cough drops, hand sanitizer, a few band-aids, post-it notes, a few hygiene items, a small bottle of water, cell phone, fully charged extra phone battery and a set of chemical hand warmers ( I have issues with body temp and cold). My keys are on a "cute" keychain with an LED flashlight, but I also carry a set of useful keychains that include an LED penlight, tiny scissors, and a flashdrive with medical info. There's usually a novel and a tablet computer tucked in my purse, too! All of these items serve a mundane purpose, but are highly useful in a true emergency.

The purse isn't all that heavy to carry and those things come in handy far more often than you might think in everyday situations....
Are you serious? You walk around town with all of this?

Granted, I'm retired, but in the city, I carry my wallet, my keys, my cellphone, a small comb, compact reading glasses, a small tube or painkillers, and some kleenex. In Florida, I usually carry a smaller purse with the above but sans reading glasses or wallet, just cash and a credit card, and sometimes I carry just a tiny cloth cross-shoulder bag, about 2x3, that just holds some cash, my debit card and CC, a key and a comb. My cellphone or camera can fit, as appropriate.

If I'm travelling internationally, then I carry a big purse with steel reinforcement against pickpockets, and it has lots of stuff in it, big enough for a tablet if required, plus maps, guidebook, passport, sani-wipes, sunscreen and/or bug spray, plus the usual stuff above.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2014, 07:21 AM
 
253 posts, read 376,747 times
Reputation: 559
I do have all of that stuff in my purse! The bag is large but it isn't heavy and everything is in a small sized container. Over the years, I have used all of the stuff in my bag on almost a weekly basis and co-workers always needed something from it. Due to my health issue, I have to carry the handwarmers for three seasons of the year. My hands can get incredibly cold in 50 degree weather.

My multi-tool was always getting a workout as tiny screws in other folks' eyeglasses were always falling out. The tool folds up to fit into a tiny pouch that is about 2X3 inches in size. I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so I would never want to be without my pocket sized hand sanitizer. With the tissues, I can turn the sanitizer into an anti-bacterial wipe.

I had a participant in one of my classes get sick due to low blood sugar and a piece of hard candy helped with that, though the candy helps to get me through a day when lunch is late due to a meeting. The tiny bottle of assorted meds can help everything from indigestion to a headache.

I can use my tablet computer as an e-reader or to access computer files and websites. I'm now a writer and work from home, but I used to work with entrepreneurs all over the place so having access to a computer-like device is handy. It is also much nicer than going on the internet on a tiny cell phone screen! Instead of bug spray, I usually have OFF or Cutter wipes in my bag for the summer. They are much smaller than spray cans and protect just as well. I also keep a plastic grocery bag that I rolled up with a rubber band around it. If you've never had the privilege of chauffeuring a grandchild when they suddenly decide that they are nauseous, let me tell you... A plastic bag will become your best friend!

I also have a tiny umbrella. It is about 6 inches long and has protected many a hairstyle over the years when the weather man got things wrong.

The sewing kit is one that I made in an altoids-type tin. Instead of whole spools of thread, I have a few basic colors that I wrapped around a piece of cardboard, a couple of needles, a couple of straight pins a couple of safety pins, etc... That has come in handy so many times when I've popped button or had a zipper fail.

I also carry the usual wallet, cc's, basic keys and another set belonging to my parents.

I decided to put my purse on the scale just to see how much it all weighs... 4 pounds!

The other day, I noticed that my purse was feeling heavier than usual and couldn't figure out why. It turned out that I'd forgotten to remove my husbands BIG metal tape measure. He'd asked me to hold onto it because he had no place to put it. I told him that he needs a man-purse!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2014, 10:20 AM
 
15,633 posts, read 26,157,024 times
Reputation: 30922
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming View Post
My rattlesnakes discourage city slicker trespassers; my harmless snakes are just that. I've never understood why so many people suffer from ophidiophobia.

P.S. Snakes don't chase people.
I once came real close to stepping on a rattler -- the venue I was at paved the walkways the same color as the snakes, and the snakes liked the heat the pavement generated.

Hubby caught me before I landed, and yes -- the snake rattled. Then decided the stupid humans were bothering him as he slithered off.

So I tend to agree -- the last thing they want to do is fight....
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Retirement
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:43 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top