Many preparedness writers (actually maybe it’s everywhere now) default to making long lists because they can’t write much of substance. I figure they don’t want to do the research. Or maybe they’re trying to squeeze in a lot of items you can buy through their Amazon affiliate program. Or perhaps it’s because they lack the ability to organize their thoughts coherently. I’d love to deconstruct an article I read a year or so ago on the __Preparedness Uses of Sugar (number hidden to avoid too publicly embarrassing the author). Had the author organized his thoughts instead of penning a rapid brain dump (it was called pre-writing when I went to school), he would have seen that instead of the Very Large Number he claimed, it was actually a much smaller number, and he was just repeating himself numerous times. It would have been easier for his audience to see this as well.
In addition, because these puff pieces lack supporting research, the little information provided can be misleading if not dangerous. It’s critical to conduct your own research, and that includes anything you read here as well. In a list of 35 over-the-counter medications to store, the same previously mentioned author indicated that he only stored 91% rubbing alcohol, and that was for disinfecting as well. Unfortunately, 91% does not disinfect as well as 70% (because 91% evaporates more quickly—too quickly to kill pathogens). So unless that author is planning to do the math to calculate exactly how much water to add to the 91% alcohol to yield 70% alcohol, he’s putting himself and his family at risk. Along those same lines, potassium iodide (for protection from radioactive iodide) is great to have, but if you don’t know who needs it, how much, and when, what good will it be?
Back to the sugar article. Included in that list were several suggestions that would be a complete waste of a relatively valuable product. While sugar has been relatively inexpensive for at least the last 50 years, such was not the case historically. And in any kind of collapse event, sugar will be costly again. It will not be used to make homemade glue (lots of other ways to do this), candles (seriously?), burned for fuel, used for fertilizing plants, or perhaps worst of all, making a facial scrub. People read that they can use sugar to make alcohol, a facial scrub, or glue, and don’t think much about it. Alcohol may indeed be a good use for sugar, but a facial scrub or glue?
Historically, sugar was such a valuable commodity that it comprised part of the slave trade. When inflation really hits and supply chain disruption become even more real, sugar is going to skyrocket well beyond a dollar per pound. It’s not going to be frittered away on a facial scrub.
And what good is such an article if there are no links? In the course of his own research, the reader then finds that the writer didn’t research well, is smoking something serious, or sometimes, just making stuff up. Among critical thinkers, such poorly researched articles destroy the author’s credibility. Those who failed to conduct their own research will find themselves rudely awakened.
Don’t let lists substitute for critical thinking.
Of course, most of us require lists. I’ve even got quite a few lists on this blog. They’re a quick check to make sure you’ve got the essentials, because while trying to remember it all when you were younger may have worked, it likely won’t work when older. (I know it’s not working for me anymore.) The danger lies in not going beyond the lists, a far too common occurrence. Lists on this blog should have full articles devoted to most of the items in the lists, and if it was a really good article, links to the items on the list. Except for the really long articles. But searching in the search box should provide an answer.
So yes, use lists to check and double check everything. But don’t stop there. Make sure you can do everything you need to do and know how to use your supplies to produce the desired results. So you won’t be merely surviving, but truly thriving.
And finally, a shout-out to the other preparedness writers reading this article: Cut back on the 5-12-48 Things You Forgot to Store/Preparedness Uses for Duct Tape/Herbs to Forage, and start writing articles with substance, perhaps some practical how-tos. You’ll learn in the process as well, help others along their preparedness journey, and become better prepared yourself.
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For exactly the reasons you list, the information and sources you write about are golden.... :)
ReplyDeleteAwww.... You're making me blush. ;)
DeleteSo many of the lists never give a suggestion of how much one should maybe have of said item. Water is always stated at 1 gal/day/each person. But how much, for example sugar, salt, wheat, rice, cooking oil or even medical supplies should be stored. To me an approximation for people, especially new preppers would be a big help. But you are right, a list is much easier to put together than to include maybe how much to store. Thank you for bringing this up.
ReplyDelete