Technology odd innit how it creeps up on you

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Silent Earth

A True Doomsday Prepper
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Technology odd innit how it creeps up on you
Been reducing / adapting and updating both my EDC gear and my GHB gear as my preps change, my confidence in technology grows and my general approach to prepping keeps evolving.

I noted I am making far more notes and recording stuff than ever before so I decided to add a very small increase in my recce / intel gathering capability, and I'm finally getting more comfortable with technology, and on top of it all I decided it was high time to sort out the stuff I EDC cos my pants and jacket were getting very heavy.

So on EDC front I have pruned things down a lot to
1 Pocket knife ( folder)
2 Flashlight but spare batts now in GHB
3 Wallet
4 Tactical pen but notebook now in GHB
5 Shades / Specs but cleaner now in GHB
6 Watch and Butane Lighter
7 Mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy core in Armoured case)
8 Gerber Artifact mini tool replacing Multi tool now in GHB
9 Kerchief / Bandana.

Moving on to modern technology, I guess most of you will be light years ahead of me on this gear but I am trying to catch up
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So now depending on where I am going and what i am doing this is what gets used now.

1 The Samsung Galaxy Core loaded with Camera, GPS, Radio, Maps, Voice Search, BBC NEWS 24 and Google Earth.
2 16GB USB 2 Flash drive stick loaded with useful stuff
3 USB lead M toF
4 Adaptor 12Vdc Fag lighter socket to USB
5 Levin Portable PV panel kit
6 Samsung Headphone / Antenna combo for Galaxy Core
7 Samsung N200 Notbook (If needed)

The most useless bits of kit I ever carried were the Baofeng UV5 radios as they were never needed in that role, but will be better used as comms after TSHTF, I got rid of three sets and kept the other three.

The rest of the GHB is as follows
8 FAK and Script meds
9 2 x 500 mil Sig water bottles
10 Rations inc Jerky and glucose tabs
11 Pry Bar, Multi Tool (from EDC) Sharpener (from EDC)
12 Spare CR123A Batteries (half from EDC)
13 Notebook
14 Maps, Area Guides & Compass
15 Paracord- Cable ties - Insulating tape
16 25mm Mini binos + Laser Range Finder (DIY type not mil spec)
17 FFP3 / N95 Disposable Masks
18 Ziplock Bags
19 Wet wipes, Towelette, Soap bar, Toothbrush, Gum, Razor
20 Sharpie and Tactical pen
21 Spare CR123A Flashlight
22 Spare Polarised Shades
23 Spare Folding knife
24 Spare Butane Lighter
25 Light sticks (white)

And that is where I stand now with my current kit but as always its constantly under review.

So has your kits changed much in recent times? if so please share as I probably will learn something useful
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We must become the greatest generation of European men to ever have lived, or be the last generation of European men to ever have lived!
 
I embrace and utilize technology but I don't want to rely on it in a SHTF situation. It seems like you have a good mix though.
I'm not European though and not a man so based on your post not sure this applies to me. . . :p
 
It all depends upon what Technology that is being discussed. Any Technology that has to do with Social Media, I stay far away from. Anything highly computerized, I avoid as much as possible (you cannot avoid a lot of it today, ie: cars). But there is some Technology I am embracing. The use of Solar energy is one example. I want to utilize this as much as possible (off-grid systems only). There are a lot of Tools that exist now that make building feasible.

So, as with most question, it is not as simple a question that it seems initially.
 
It all depends upon what Technology that is being discussed. Any Technology that has to do with Social Media, I stay far away from. Anything highly computerized, I avoid as much as possible (you cannot avoid a lot of it today, ie: cars). But there is some Technology I am embracing. The use of Solar energy is one example. I want to utilize this as much as possible (off-grid systems only). There are a lot of Tools that exist now that make building feasible.

So, as with most question, it is not as simple a question that it seems initially.
Elon Musk has been doing a lot with solar energy and other sustainable resources. I am a big fan of that, though he is pretty crazy in a lot of other areas! I think that whatever we can do to be self-sustaining is good, and if technology helps that then that is great. Too often though I feel like technology ties us down and makes us dependent on the creators of the technologies.
 
I am all in favour of using solar as an off grid system but I think calling it sustainable is a bit of a stretch. Digging up large forests to mine the materials used to make them, the short life span of batteries and then wait a few years and the world will wake up to the problem of recycling solar panels.
 
I am all in favour of using solar as an off grid system but I think calling it sustainable is a bit of a stretch. Digging up large forests to mine the materials used to make them, the short life span of batteries and then wait a few years and the world will wake up to the problem of recycling solar panels.

Perhaps you are only considering unsustainable HIGHTECH solar and not LOWTECH solar from (at the bottom end) solar communal ovens. In the middle, Solar heating systems for water and homes ( solar panels containing black piping instead of PV cells) to provide heat from individual houses to entire estates. Large scale but not quite fully sustainable (1) Solar powered pumps used to pump water to high elevation reservoirs which store the water for use in hydro electric systems on demand, (2) Solar reflectors in huge fields focusing solar energy onto one collector which is used to supeheat steam (or liquid sodium) which is used to power turbine generators. The batteries are Lakes, Reservoirs and Boilers. Recycling Solar panels (average life 25 years) is cheaper and safer than trying to recycle nuclear waste.

Also using solar energy to DIRECTLY produce electricity only works during the day, like Wind energy to DIRECTLY produce energy only works when the wind is blowing. But if you use the solar / wind energy to (a) Crack water into Hydrogen and Oxygen and store it as fuel at power stations you have an energy source available on demand. OR (B)you again use the energy when its available to pump water to high level reservoirs as described above.

Part of the problem is we preppers often look for the EASIEST / Convenient option which often is the HIGH tech option, when we should be looking at the most RELIABLE LONG TERM OPTION.

Analogy : You have a homestead, you need water, you drill a borehole so how do you get the water out (1) Hand pump? hard bloody work and takes up valuable time (2) electric pump? , needs power so a grid connection or expensive generator and fuel and maintenance frequently. OK So a solar or wind powered pump ( or both) which will last at least 25 years makes sense to get the water out of the ground.

So you now have water when the sun is out and its windy, but what happens at night and when the wind is not blowing? You need to store the water so its available when its needed you need a RESERVOIR or WATER TANK or HOLDING POND preferably above the point of need ( the hacienda) so it can be fed on demand by simple gravity when ever you want it.

So now swap the word WATER for Electricity and you can see to get the real long term benefit of most types of renewables you need a STORAGE system. Problem is with 99% of commercial wind / solar systems the energy created can only be used when its windy or sunny, they dont store the energy as its produced. The STORAGE system in the IDEAL system is not CHEMICAL BATTERIES , they are only CONVENIENT but certainly not long term effective. Preppers need to be able to STORE the energy they produce but ideally not in electrical batteries, convert it into something more easily stored IE Water or Steam .
 
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Yeah I was more talking about the solar panels and battery set up most go for. Nice info Bill. If I find the time i had planned on making a solar water heating system like you describe.

While it may not be totally green I still think growing trees on my plot and using the wood as an energy source still one of the better sustainable options.

With regards to silent earth's original 2016 post on EDC tech I only have a windup/dynamo torch and my mobile phone
 

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