SUZY JEFFRIES SHARES HER SELF-RELIANCE PREPS

ON THE ROAD, AT WORK OR IN A TORNADO, SHE’S READY FOR ANYTHING!

- Suzy Jeffries

I had never given conscious thought to what my top self-reliance items are until American Outdoor Guide Editor Mike McCourt asked me to write this article. Rather than contemplate this, I decided the most accurate way to make that determination was to go through my purse and packs.

A Little Background

I live in a rural area prone to weather threats, including tornadoes. Because we don’t have a basement, we put a storm shelter in our yard. In addition to items stored in the shelter, I have a backpack (go pack) prepped beside the bed.

Before COVID-19, I traveled a minimum of 45 minutes to work. This travel included commuting to a major city and through rural areas where, at times, there’s no cell signal. Should something occur that causes me to abandon my vehicle and walk, I have a backpack (travel pack) and other items staged in my Jeep.

In addition to my two packs, I occasionally carry a purse.

Always With Me

After comparing the commonalities in my purse and two packs, there are five items that are always with me.

Knives. A survival knife is a must-have, and I have two in each pack.

A survival knife can be used to process food, tap a tree for water and chop branches for fire or a makeshift shelter. My favorite survival knife is custom-made; before I received it, my favorite was the Schrade SCHF36. My custom knife “lives” in my go pack and the Schrade SCFH36 in my travel pack.

There’s also a Morakniv (Mora) knife in each pack and two knives in my purse. Mora knives are super-sharp straight from the factory, and I wouldn’t want to be without one.