Chapter 11: Comfort In The Midst Of Devastation

 

What many people fail to consider in their Doomsday preparations is the comfort that can be found even in the middle of utter desolation.  When faced with a crisis situation, it is easy to adopt the attitude that the world has ceased to exist and that one is dealing with the situation completely on one’s own.  This leads to depression and loss of hope.  It can even lead to one’s giving up the will to continue living which is extremely dangerous in a Doomsday scenario. 

 

The human body and mind can endure tremendous amounts of stress and strain when there are even small comforts available to relieve some of the pressure.  In fact, one of the common points you hear in almost every amazing feat of survival involves some thought or habit that brought the individual a sense of comfort or “home” in the midst of chaos.  With this being such an important bond among survivors, it would make sense that we now discuss a few ways to find your own peace and comfort in a post-apocalyptic world.

 

In times of great stress, even the simplest pleasures can make things much more bearable while small annoyances can become major problems.  Something as small as having salt for your food can make a huge difference in how you perceive your surroundings.  Adding a few comfort measures to your Doomsday preparation kits is highly recommended.  This is especially true in the case of those who may be going through a Doomsday event with children.

 

While adults may be able to handle stressful situations in an emotionally detached manner with less need for personal comfort, children tend to be focused on their own personal needs. If you ever doubt this, try sitting in a car with a tired, hungry child for a few hours.  You quickly come to understand that children require a lot more attention to their personal needs or they can make your own situation quite uncomfortable.  While this tendency is annoying in daily life, in a survival scenario, it could be unbearable.  So the question raises itself, what are some comfort measures that could be added to our emergency kits to make life more peaceful in a post-apocalyptic world?

 

-        Spices and condiments for food are one of the primary comfort measures that can be added to all of your emergency kits.  Adding these comforts doesn’t take up much space or weigh a lot but it can provide a great amount of solace when you are surviving on less than palatable food.  Even the prepper’s kit in your car should include a few salt, pepper, catsup and mustard packets.  As a bonus, it doesn’t have to cost you a lot to put these goodies in your kit.  When you visit your favorite drive-thru fast food chain for lunch, simply ask for extra salt and pepper packets or for your favorite condiments to be placed in your bag. Most places will give you several packages and they don’t charge extra.  Use what you need for your current meal and then add the extras to your survival kits.
-        While eating with your fingers is certainly acceptable in a Doomsday scenario, it might be a little more comforting to have cutlery on hand, especially since there are times when limited water supplies might make bathing take second place to survival.  Adding forks, spoons and knives to your preparations ensures that you can maintain your civility even in adverse conditions.  Many camping supply stores even offer an item that is sometimes called a Hobo knife.  This is a folding knife styled tool that has a regular knife blade, a fork and a spoon.  For regular campers or individuals who are preparing for long-term survival after a Doomsday event, this tool would make an excellent addition to your kit.  Again, you can rely on your local fast food places to give you free plastic knives, forks and spoons in sealed packaging if you are prepping on a limited budget.
-        Along the same line of thought, a set of cups, dishes and cooking utensils should be part of every long-term shelter’s supplies.  While cold beans served straight from the can will keep you alive, the ability to cook and serve meals on dishes provides a more comfortable atmosphere, making a difficult experience a little less grueling.  If you plan to be in your Doomsday shelter for an extended period of time, why not make the experience as comfortable as possible.
-        Hygiene is important for both mental and physical health in a survival situation. Adding a bar of soap, moist towelettes or no-rinse shampoos and body wash to your prepper’s kit is a wise investment.  Even those little bars of soap or bottles of shampoo and conditioner from motels can be used as free alternatives to more expensive products and these items don’t take up a lot of valuable space in your kits.
-        Oral health items, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash can provide comfort and health benefits to survivors of emergencies.  These items should be included in your kit as they require very little space for the amount of comfort they provide.  Some of these items may even have multiple uses in an emergency situation.  For example, an alcohol-based mouthwash can serve the purpose of an antiseptic rinse if your first aid kit is unavailable.
-        Mental comfort is also important in difficult times.  If you have a favorite hobby, such as assembling models or painting, be sure to include a few extras in your long term prep kits or survival shelter stockpiles to give you something to occupy your mind.  Additionally, you might choose to add a collection of books or magazines to provide solace during those times when you are isolated and forced to remain in the shelter for days on end due to weather or danger. 
-        If you are a religious or spiritual person, you might choose to add the sacred texts of your religion to your supplies, giving you a place to seek guidance and wisdom from whatever deity you look to.
-        If you have children of your own or anticipate that you might wind up with a youngster in your care during a Doomsday event, consider adding a few comfort measures for them as well.  A stuffed animal, coloring books or simple games can go a long way toward averting the nagging and whining that accompany boredom.
-        Small, convenient treats, such as favorite foods, toaster pastries or fruit snacks, can also alleviate the monotony of eating the same food’s day after day.  Children perceive these treats as rewards for specific behaviors so this may be your best method of training your younger party members in survival skills that can help the group.
-        If you or a family member requires any kind of medication, it is important to have a reserve on hand in the event of emergencies.  Many people tend to think of life-saving medicines, such as heart or blood pressure pills, but anxiety or depression medication is equally important in times of dire emergency.  Your doctor may be willing to help you with your preparations by writing you an extra prescription to fill in advance.
-        A battery powered radio should also be included in your survival preparations for two reasons.  First, the radio may be able to provide you with news and information about the emergency you are facing.  Secondly, a familiar song or even the sound of another human voice can provide great comfort, especially if you are isolated in a shelter by yourself.  Even though there is a chance that radio broadcasts may be completely eliminated in a Doomsday scenario, it is well worth the investment to add a radio to your supplies.
-        Your personal vices can become very comforting in times of distress.  If you use tobacco, alcohol or other chemicals, adding a few packs of cigarettes, a favorite bottle of wine or your favorite vice to your prepper's kit may help you get through some of the stressful times ahead.

 

Just because disaster has struck, it doesn't mean we have to become uncivilized or give up all of our comforts.  By planning ahead and making the extra arrangements to include these little extras in our Doomsday preparations, we can ensure that even long-term disasters have a ray of hope.  By maintaining mind, body and spirit in these difficult situations, we reinforce the ideal that humanity will continue to exist and can again become connected despite the trials associated with any calamity.