Emergency Survival while living abroad

[2Enigma]

Mods;
There a a few posts under the WCF MRE. Mine and another are a bit off topic so perhaps they should be merged.
Another good point of living abroad is to let your local embassy know you are here and how to contact you. Keep watch on emergency developments and be ready if things go from bad to worse. If things start to look bad, stay in closer touch to know where and when you should be there.
Don't count on cell phones. They need to know where you are and keep it up to date.

I'm not saying that Taiwan is unsafe. I am just saying to use common sense. Taiwan is one of the safeest countries (out of 35) in which I have spent time. On the other hand, things can go bad very very fast. The posts are meant, not to scare but to give some good advice for you regardless of any country you may find yourself whilst abroad. I know others have vast experience travelling abroad and I thought it might be helpful to give some suggestions for being prepared to protect yourself while therein.
1. I always to keep a "to go bag", I call "grab and go bag"
My wife has one and so do I. They are smaller size back packs, each with a sleeping bag but mine has a small pup tent.
Both bags have one light change for dry clothes and an extra set of light hiking shoes (not boots)
2. We each have a small lunch box with some basic food supplies for about 2 weeks (4 in a pinch) and some water purification tablets
3. Flashlights and one set of extra batteries. (keep it as light as possible). Forget cell phone batteries, laptops and chargers
4. Food mentioned from the merge from WCF.
5. Local basic maps because, in a disaster, things are going to look differently. Mine are laminated.
6 First aid kit of basics:
Large size bandages
Scizzors
Decent sized folding knife
A small roll of Duct Tape in each bag
Disinfectant - iodine is popular here and neosporin, etc, difficult to find
Fem hygiene pads for larger scale sterilized bandages
Any prescribed meds enough for 4 weeks - especially things like diabetes meds that can go without refrigeration (ask doc)
More suggestions? Keep it light and mobile.

[jimipresley]

BE PREPARED FOR THE




ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!

[tommy525]

It generally makes sense to have a documents case which you can take out of the house in the event of a fire. Inside is your passport and those of any loved ones. Plus rotate your credit cards so that one of them is in there. Plus any title documents you have to a house/car etc.
And any bank books, chops, extra ATM card so that you will have ready access to cash.


This way if your house catches fire you have at least the basics to get things moving again.

IF there is a national emergency such as a major quake you can depart to the airport and take a flight to a nearby country to ride out the aftershocks provided the airport is functioning. Being on an island if you can't get out, then you are there for the duration.

If the commies attack , the airports will be closed and therefore you are there for the duration as well.

[Zla'od]

What about weapons? Guns are illegal here but machete knives and brickbats are popular, and I think you can get archery equipment.

But the most important thing is to be part of a group of people you can count on to help each other and work together. That way you can overwhelm the well-prepared people and take their food.

[Taiwan Luthiers]

What about weapons? Guns are illegal here but machete knives and brickbats are popular, and I think you can get archery equipment.

But the most important thing is to be part of a group of people you can count on to help each other and work together. That way you can overwhelm the well-prepared people and take their food.

Homemade black powder firearms (but making them is also illegal)?

It really helps to live next to a police station, because in the case of social breakdown/zombie apocalypse there's always an armory you can break into for essential weapons...

As for how to make blackpowder, there are instructions over the net, but the type of charcoal makes a significant difference in the quality of the powder. BBQ charcoal makes crappy powder that won't do more than burn like matches.

[Hamletintaiwan]

It really helps to live next to a police station, because in the case of social breakdown/zombie apocalypse there's always an armory you can break into for essential weapons...

This is Taiwan where people actually care about what other people think of them and not New Orleans.
I don't think there will ever be a complete social breakdown in a country like Taiwan. People here are still bound to their culture which can be annoying sometimes/many-times.

However, why should they start shooting each other? The only thing I could think of, far fetched anyhow, is that the Taiwan Indian tribes in the mountains gear up to fight the Taiwanese with a Chinese background.

It will never happen and if, don't get between the lines.
So, go teaching now and if the $$ collapses this or next year, it won't be the biggest single event in human history.
I guess the new currencies are printed already and after a year or so of discomfort everything returns to normal on a lower standard.

No new I-Phone every six month.
The LCD must last 6 years at least and so does your PC.
Farmers will throughout such an event take care of their fields and sell their goods for whatever currencies available.

Keep mixing your gunpowder and don't blow up the house.

[Super Hans]

Go out and do it from time to time. All the kit in the world is not going to save you if you are not cut out for it - and learn how to ration, learn how to use the stuff that you have effectively and learn how to improvise with the things that can be found around you.
I don't do it so much now, but when i used to spend time in the mountains or other outdoor places I would take a supply of food and necessary equipment, but I would use it sparingly, instead using what is around me first and relying on what I was carrying for emergencies.
And get a good, useful knife. This will see you through anything.

[Chris]

Things to consider in your survival kit:

Survival knife
Fire-starting supplies (lighter, waterproof matches, flint, tinder)
First aid supplies
Para cord
Space blanket
Water purification tablets
Water filter
Food with a long shelf life (power bars, dehydrated camping food, etc.)
Headlamp & spare batteries
Compass
Spare clothing
External hard drive with all your important files backed up on it regularly

You can get most of these at outdoor stores like Ting San Iou or MetrOasis.

I bring some of this stuff along with me when I hike, and it can prove useful during a simple day hike in the woods.

[Taiwan Luthiers]

Make sure the hard drive isn't anything mechanical that can fail! either use flash disks or SSD. They have a long data retention and can be dropped without affecting its data. A CD/DVD backup is also good too...

[Zla'od]

And a towel. Never go anywhere without your towel.