Tag Archives: bug-out

Feature Friday: If I Die on Mars

In the Parable of the Sower, Lauren’s new religion, Earthseed has a single focused ultimate mission:

The Destiny of Earthseed
Is to take root among the stars.

Despite debt and poverty. Despite a government that threatens to cut all spending to space programs. Despite scarcity of fuels and raw materials. Despite all the problems that must take precedence on the ground. Or maybe because of all of those things.

In the book,  chapter three begins with the death of an astronaut on July 30, 2024 during the most recent manned mission to Mars.  Lauren talks about her worries that the space program will be shelved despite believing that space is their only hope.

But this isn’t just a story. This is where science fiction and science fact begin to merge. Because in 2012, Mars One announced plans to try and colonize Mars. Since then they have been recruiting. More than 200,000 people applied for the one-way trip. 100 are still in the running, three of whom are interviewed in the video that follows. That take-off is scheduled for 2024.


I used to be a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but after coming to the end of each year with most of the checklist still unchecked, I have decided to try a different way–to set priorities. My top priority for this year is health–physical, mental, emotional, fiscal. For me, prep is a huge component of building, maintaining, and preserving that health. And an important part of prep is identifying our top threats.

Survival Mom has a very detailed article about doing your own threat assessment, but for today, I’m just going to keep it simple with her abbreviated quiz:

Identify your top 3 events to prepare for by answering these questions:

  1. What is the most likely natural disaster in your area?
  2. What is the most likely extreme weather event that might affect you?
  3. What is the most likely personal or man-made crisis that would affect you?  Examples: long-term unemployment, hyperinflation, civil unrest.
  4. Finally, prioritize these in the order they are most likely to happen and you will immediately have a focus for your preparedness.

For me, the three areas where I will focus my prep attention in the coming year are:

  1. Wildfire
  2. Drought
  3. Income loss due to unemployment or illness

And priority-wise:

  1. Income loss due to unemployment or illness (build an emergency fund, diversify income opportunities)
  2. Wildfire (put together bug-out bag and grab list)
  3. Drought (conserve, practice going without)

It can take less than 5 minutes to come up with your list, and having one can help you stay focused on the most pressing things to prep for so you don’t get overwhelmed. If you are into resolutions, prepping is a good one and Survival Mom has some other great prepping ideas in her How Basic Can You Get? posts #1 #2#3 (which includes the above quiz), #4, #5, and #6. Although most of these ideas are focused toward beginners, there is plenty here for the more experienced of us as well.

What are your Big 3, and how will you start preparing for them in the new year?

Small Lessons from Daily Life

Today was a long day. I worked setting up a vendor booth, came home, and then went back to the event. There were, however two notable (and relevant) moments in the day:

  • I learned that my little Chevy hatchback can carry 5 boxed professional-grade sewing machines plus one unboxed long-arm sewing machine and one unboxed portable sewing machine and still have room in the front seat for a passenger, with enough space left over for my emergency roadside bag, a first aid kit, and a few other odds and ends. Even though I did drive the car across country packed with my things, and for many years before that used it to haul cinderblocks, huge bags of compost and soil, and one time, to move 17 plants including two bare-root fruit trees, and several 5 gallon shrubs, but that was a long time ago. Knowing  the carrying capacity of one’s vehicle is a very good idea, and being reminded of just how much mine can hold makes me want to do trial bug-out runs to see how many of my most important possessions I can cram into the trunk and still have enough room in the back seat to get a good night’s sleep. Once I figure that out, I’ll create a list for the back of the door. I’ll also time how long it takes me to get everything from messy room to bags to car.
  • My gentleman friend stopped by and brought me a copy of The Disaster Diaries: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Apocalypse. Does he get me or what? I’ve already read the first three pages and look forward to reading the rest. I’ll let you know how it goes.

    The Disaster Diaries
    The Disaster Diaries