The Practical Prepper

The more we develop a self-reliant lifestyle and work on our preparedness, the more my family appreciates the value of simpler things in life. This doesn't mean that we shun technology (in fact, I work with technology as a part of my career), but it does mean that we aren't obsessed with it.

Like many other things (e.g., cars, power tools, firearms, etc.), we believe that technology is a tool, sometimes providing a quicker, faster, easier, or cheaper way to accomplish some task. In that spirit, here are some easy ways we've used technology to enhance our preparedness.

Mobile phone tips

Here are a few ways we've integrated our mobile phones into our preparedness plans, so that they become a tool for our family to stay in touch and coordinate things:

• We've programmed "In Case of Emergency" (ICE) contacts into our cell phones so that emergency personnel can contact those people if we are unable to call ourselves. Our ICE contacts are primarily within our immediate family, so we are familiar with any medical issues, special needs, etc.
• We also keep some contacts on our phone that don't live in our area. We use them as a "switchboard" in an emergency, especially if we can't reach our other family members directly. We have discussed this with the out-of-town contacts, of course, so that they're aware of, and have agreed to, our plans.
• The contacts on our phones are updated regularly, and we synchronize them with our computer. That allows us to have the same (hopefully accurate) information everywhere.
• We all have different models of phone, but we make sure that everyone knows how to text. That's important since authorities advise the use of text messages in an emergency, even when regular phone service is disrupted.
• We maintain a "traditional" landline phone (non-broadband or VOIP), and we keep one non-cordless handset. This landline often works even when the power is out.

Keeping mobile devices charged

Of course, mobile devices have a finite battery life. Here are some of our most common ways to keep them charged up:

• Our stored, extra batteries are kept in one central place. We also have a solar-powered charger.
• We have a hand-cranked radio and flashlights as a backup. In addition, the hand-cranked radio has an outlet for charging USB devices too, which is helpful for keeping our mobile/battery-powered devices charged.
• There are USB adapters in all of our cars, which we can use to charge our mobile devices. Of course, we try to only charge things when the car would be running anyway, i.e., when we're going somewhere.

Using technology for data backup/preparedness

We keep backup electronic copies of our most important documents. Typically, we keep them on a USB flash drive, but we're considering an e-reader (e.g., the Amazon Kindle) so that we can actually view the files without a computer. The list of documents and files we keep backed up includes the following:

• Birth Certificates
• Marriage License
• Divorce Papers
• Social Security Cards
• Passport
• Will/Living Will
• Mortgage and Real Estate Deeds
• Vehicle Registration/Ownership Papers
• Previous Year’s Tax Returns
• Recent Pay Stubs/Documentation for all Sources of Income
• Insurance Policies' Documentation
• Health Insurance ID Cards
• Medical Records
• Lists of Immunizations/Allergies
• List of Necessary Medications
• Backup of Accounts/Passwords
• A file of Emergency Contacts

Of course, having this much personally sensitive data in one portable place is a risk that needs to be mitigated. First, it's important to encrypt your flash drive with a password. That way, your data is secure even if you lose the drive or it's stolen.

Beyond that, it's important to protect your data from loss due to static discharge or electromagnetic events. The easiest way to do that is to keep your drive in a Static Shielding Bag. Bags like this form a Faraday cage, protecting your data.

So, what about you? How do you integrate mobile technology into your preparedness?

Believing that preparedness and self-reliance are key to individual freedom, Atticus Freeman is the founder of the Self-Reliant Info blog, in addition to authoring The Practical Prepper weekly blog here on Farm Dreams. Thanks for reading!