DR. JOE ALTON'S TOP PREPAREDNESS PICKS

CRITICAL INSIGHTS FROM EVERYONE’S FAVORITE SURVIVAL MEDIC

-  Joe Alton, M.D.

Everyone has their favorite items they wouldn’t want to be without in a long-term survival scenario.

When an interviewer asks what pieces of equipment are must-haves, I immediately start asking questions: What’s the scenario—an economic collapse, a high-death-rate pandemic, a thermonuclear war? Are they staying in place or getting out of Dodge? Are they alone, with their family or in a survival group? Are there kids? Are there old folks? Sometimes, the questioner regrets having asked, but the answers to my questions factor into what you’ll need.

I don’t claim to be a bushcraft expert (my mission is medical), so my personal requirements might be different from others who wouldn’t be responsible for the health of a survival community.

In this article, though, I’ll discuss the items and skills that I’ve worked to obtain and hone in order to succeed when everything else fails. I’ll sometimes mention a brand name, but everyone is different, and their gear preferences should be the result of their own research and conclusions.

To begin, it’s worthwhile to review the famous “Rule of Threes”: You can survive three minutes without air before losing consciousness, three hours without shelter in harsh environments, three days without water and three weeks without food. Note that there are many exceptions to these rules. (For example, the record for going without air was set by a freediver in 2009: 11 minutes, 35 seconds. But you get the picture.)

SHELTER

Let’s say you’re not bugging out to the bottom of the ocean, so air is in abundance. However, you’ll need shelter.