What if?

Part 1 of 4 

What if – Experienced hikers carry something called “the ten essentials” on hikes regardless of duration albeit an afternoon or a month.  These items are also good to carry with you when traveling.  I carry them in my day bag when out touring whatever location I’m checking out.  They can also easily fit in my Scottevest now that I have one.  Rather than list all specific items, I’ll list categories instead:  Map and compass; pocket knife or multi-tool (Swiss army knife or Leatherman, for example); first aid kit to include powdered rehydration mix such as EmergenC and a “space blanket;” weather-appropriate clothing such as a jacket, rain gear, cold weather clothing, extra underwear just in case, etc.), water; some food snacks; fire-starting items such as a lighter and some matches; communication equipment such as cell phone.  I also carry a few big garbage bags and some cordage (like dental floss).  More on that later.  Add to that a money belt to carry passport, credit card(s), and cash--money belt on your person, not in the pack.  All that stuff takes up minimal room in a day pack and is relatively lightweight.  Why would I start out my post with such a list?  Yes, you can use some or all of that stuff while wandering around during the day.  It will be cheaper than buying lunch or standing in line to buy lunch.  You’ll have something to drink immediately when you want it.  You can pull out your rain jacket/poncho when it rains to avoid getting soaking wet.   Another reason for carrying that stuff is in a more sobering realm.  I’m an emergency preparedness person and worked in an operations realm when in the military.  I always consider “what if?” when traveling.

So let’s consider “what if?” could happen during your travels.  It has happened to folks during travel in the past and will in the future.  It’s easier to react positively in the face of disaster if you have gamed it in your mind ahead of time.  Let’s consider a scenario.  Here’s one I think could happen.  Tailor it to your own situation that you could foresee.  The scenario is that for some unforeseen reason, you are not able to get into the lodging you were staying at.  Maybe it burned to the ground.  Less possible but let’s consider it:  Complicating this personal challenge, officials of the city in which you’re staying suddenly curtail any travel into or out of the city.  So you are left with whatever you have on your person or in your day pack.  See why you should have those essentials?  Hopefully you are wearing your money belt with passport, credit cards, and money.  I never leave my digs without them safely tucked away in the hidden money belt.  There is some disparity in the preparedness community as to the top priority for survival.  My vote (and the vote of lots of others) is shelter followed by security.  If you can’t get out of the weather and into a safe place, what good will water and food be?  So first, try to get alternate lodging using your credit card or funds.  Let’s assume there is a convention in town while you’re there.  There’s “no room at the inn.”  Not even the hostels have room.  Where next?  My next step would be to go to the local traveler information office to see if there are any private rooms to rent.  Most likely there will be some place to rent a room.  You get there and find out they only accept cash and you don’t have enough.  It seems everyone only takes cash now that the city is sealed off.  Next step:  see if you can get some shelter from a local house of worship.  They may even feed you or at least let you use their phone to call back home if your cell phone has gone out of service.  Unfortunately there’s no room at that inn either as they have taken in all they can support.  If you’re a member of certain worldwide fraternities and you happen to know how to contact someone in that fraternity in the city, you could try that.  But let’s assume you’re not a member or cannot make contact.  Perhaps public buildings such as transportation stations—Spartan in terms of amenities, but possible.  Maybe the Red Cross or some similar organization has set up an emergency shelter that is accepting folks.  That’s a distinct possibility but I, personally, will avoid that option other than use their services to get word out to family that I’m OK but could use some assistance.  Think about the Superdome during Katrina.  Need I say more?  Constant noise, crime, poor sanitation, sick and diseased folks intermingled with the healthy folks in cramped quarters.  Short tempers.  Fights.  You need a bodyguard to go to the overtaxed restroom. (OK, I did say more just in case you said I needed to say more.)  Not me.  I’ll opt for out of the box solutions (and a box is one of them).  My old standby for airports is worth a try--Rent a vehicle and use that as shelter.  No one can leave the city anyhow.  Oh no, forgot, no cash and they won’t take a credit card until the situation stabilizes.  What now?  Now you have to think like a homeless person.  Hopefully you have a travel partner.  That partner serves many roles:  security, sanity, extra problem solving – a force multiplier, so to speak.  Once you get to homeless culture, there are different rules to follow.  Granted, you will probably be in this situation for a very limited time but you have to survive that very limited time in an environment foreign to you in many ways.  It’s best to keep your distance and not appear to invade their turf.  The homeless crowd is made up of lots of types of people:  folks who are simply down on their luck and looking to get back on their feet, folks with substance abuse problems, folks who are seriously mentally ill and it would be better for them to be in a controlled environment, folks who are simply adventurous and sampling the homeless culture, students traveling the country as cheaply as possible, etc.  Some will be helpful in terms of information.  Others are truly threats.  You have little time to decide which category they are.  The immediate future could get complicated.  You may have to make decisions you would prefer not to make or do things you would prefer not to do.

That’s all the room I have for on this post.  More soon.