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by Veranio - submitted on March 6 2010


God is very kind to us and we can surely feel his guidance and protection. It was indeed a long day yesterday.

Our day started at 3:00 a.m. when we got a call to turn on the T.V. The announcer confirmed that we will be hit by a massive tsunami by 11:25 a.m. So my wife and I prayed together and blessed the house. Immediately, we started gathering our pre-arranged bug out bags. My wife put together additional things that could augment our kit while I went to fill up gas for our van.

At 4:00 a.m. there was already line at the gas station. Before 5:00 a.m. we got the essentials together and loaded it to the van and went back to bed to rest awhile. The children woke up at 5:30 and they started with their own personal kit.

We loaded most of our gears to the van just in case we need to go to a higher ground. Not wanting to be herded like refugees, we decided not to go to any evacuation center. But if needed, head to a place where we ride our dirt bikes and wait it out up there.

The emergency warning sirens started sounding at 6:00 in the morning. I cooked a hearty breakfast for everybody to keep our energy level. My daughter and my middle son went to put gas to the 4Runner since we decided to go with the van, the 4runner and a dirt bike. The CRF450 will be used for scouting if were required to move from place to place.

My eldest son put together gear for long term survival which was stowed in the 4Runner. Our youngest who is eight also organized his things together including his beloved pillow. When my daughter and my middle son returned, they related that there was a long line at the station and several accidents on the road.

The radio reported that the road to Upcountry was jammed since everybody was headed for the higher grounds. In the meantime, there was a small plane and helicopter buzzing the beach and fire trucks and police cars were patrolling the road to clear the area.

Our house is by the beach and we were in the flood zone but located on a hill so we were in the middle of the commotion. A fire truck passed by but did not warn us to evacuate.

At 8:00 we were very much situated. My daughter had a morbid but very pragmatic idea. The children wrote their names on their bodies for easier identification. My eldest son followed suit and went further by waterproofing a removable computer stick with his personal info and wore it as a pendant.

We continued to monitor developments so that if needed we can react or change plan accordingly. Part of the entertainment is to listen to the local radio station and have light moments listening to callers with their silly thoughts and questions on the incoming disaster.

I asked everybody at home to take a bath and go to the bath room before the utilities will be cut off. I did additional cooking for lunch to have the last warm and decent food if things get bad. We had also ice cream to keep the energy level high while waiting for developments. At the meantime, I filled up the three 50 gallon water barrels in the garden just in case there is long term disruption.

The first of the island chain was Hawaii or Big Island. In the past, it suffered most of the tsunami casualties. It was an advantage for us because we can monitor their damage and the effect of the incoming tsunami. We have between 20 to 30 minutes difference before the actual waves hit us.

We can also observe the ocean changes through live camera on Big Island. It was forecasted that the wave will be higher on Maui based on the structure of the island and its reef formation.

The night before, the dogs in the neighborhood were agitated. There were lots of barking and howling. Normally there is bird traffic in the wooded area of our yard but yesterday it was noticeably absent. Most likely, they flew inward to the mountains. We also heard from radio callers that pets were acting crazy.

At this time, we prayed again as a family, thanking God that we were all together and prayed for his continued protection and guidance. In the meantime, the sirens are sounding every hour. Later on the sirens sounded every 30 minutes as it gets closer to the expected time of arrival.

The fire department passed by our house once again but they did not ask us to leave. At this time, most of our neighbors have already evacuated. We learned from the local radio some roads were closed and that road to the higher areas were congested.

Cars were tightly parked on the shoulders and on available county and state parks. Later on we also found out that there were multi-family camp out on vacant lots.

There are also light moments for us during the tension. We have a two story house and our eldest and middle sons sleep downstairs. My eldest son placed his art supplies on top of the refrigerator. My middle son brought upstairs his truck muffler and placed it on my daughter’s bed.

My guess was to keep it safe from the inundation. My daughter put on a make up so she would look pretty during the disaster. They all put on deodorant so they would not be stinky in case something happens.

Basically, the children were given liberty to pack what they want to bring besides their essentials. My daughter had firecrackers to celebrate if we survive. My eldest son had pillow covers that her girlfriend made and his drawing materials for a comic strip to illustrate our experience.

My middle son had his flow master muffler and assortment of things. My youngest has his pillow, game boy and joke books to make us laugh. He also wanted to bring his bow and arrow but I told him that his Red Ryder is more than enough.

On a more serious side we also packed comfort food such as chocolates, snacks and drinks. We had raisins and nuts besides the usual canned goods. We also have a pot to boil and distill water and for cooking soups and hot drinks.

We had extra changes of underwear and socks. Learning from the aftermath of major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake where the best and the worst of people surfaces, we have defensive arms. My wife and my daughter had .38/.357 revolvers each. I had a 45 pistol and the boys had 9 mm pistols.

We opted not to bring long guns to avoid standing out in the crowd and creating undue tension. We also decided against shotguns because they are bulky and the ammunition will take more space and weight. I packed a foldable Keltec 9mm carbine that was compatible to the 9mm pistols and a .22 carbine that can be disassembled in two parts. Both of the carbines can fit inside the back packs. We also packed two .22 pistols as back up.

We had sub-sonic and low powered .22 rounds for quite hunting if we cannot go back to our house for a while. Each firearm has at least 100 plus ammunition. Each family member has a knife, flash light, first aid kit, fire starter, sewing kit, mini-tools, hygienic aids such as soap, tooth brush, tooth paste, disinfectants and other possibles/ miniature survival kits. There was redundancy and overlapping in our bug out kits in case we get separated.

As usual as in the case of the island culture, the tsunami came Hawaiian time. It was more than an hour late and more subdued like a Jawaiian reggae, not the rocking tsunami that would have rocked the island chain to oblivion. Praise the Lord. God is truly awesome in his wisdom and kindness.

It actually came in at past 12:00 p.m. in four sets of tsunami waves. Instead of the massive wall of water it came just above three feet higher than normal, much smaller than surfing waves.

It was surreal because it was actually a beautiful day yesterday. The sun was shining bright, no trade winds, a perfect cloudless sky and blue water so we can really see the changes in the ocean.

On our side, the sea was calm with small sets of waves. Then suddenly in the shoreline, there is discoloration due to the under current as the water receded, exposing some reefs and then covering it. At the harbor, the changes were more noticeable.

The water in the harbor receded and only the muddy residue was left and then the water came in and repeating the process four times.

The children were joking that it was an excitement letdown but we are all relieved that there was no destruction and we still have a home. So we prayed again as a family to thank God. By 2:00 p.m., the next thing is to unload our survival gears and put it back in place.

By the way, my wife just napped through the tsunami. I did not wake her because it was not significant and so that at least one of us will be fresh if things got worse. I told her she was unbelievably calm and she responded “We already prayed and that God is with us and remember I am a nurse - nurses are supposed to be calm. Besides, we also ate lots of grapes from Costco in case those were our last grapes.” What an incredible woman for a wife.

After this, it’s back to routine. We went to church for the 5:00 Saturday evening mass and helped out as Hospitality ministers. Prayed again and gave thanks to God. My older sons went to surfer’s banquet and the rest of the family ate dinner at the re-opened mall and we were famished and hungry.

When we got home we were so tired because our adrenaline wore down. I went to sleep in the living room because I knew I will be snoring loud and I don’t want to disturb my wife because she was also very tired. The experience was a great exercise to learn from so we can be more prepared for the next time.

When I woke up this morning the weather was bad, it’s dreary and stormy outside. The ocean is not as friendly as yesterday since it is churning and furious, but this time the birds were back on the trees.

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by Ranger Squirrel

When I was in the Army, a paradox involving sleep was rampant Army wide. “Sleep is for the weak!” and “I’ll rest when I’m dead!” were commonly heard, but not as commonly heard as “I’m freakin’ tired.” or “When are we going to get some sack time?” I once slept through a .50 caliber machine gun, unloading several hundred blanks at me from 30 feet away. I was that tired.

It’s not just the Army. Science and common wisdom both have been telling us we need more sleep for centuries, while pop culture glorifies staying up all night. Let’s look at why sleep is important, and more to the point – how it affects us in a survivalist context?

On a physical level, sleep is time for your body to heal, resupply itself with oxygen, and grow new muscle tissue. It allows the various hormones flowing through your body to normalize and increase or decrease future production as necessary. Our bodies know this even if we choose to ignore it. When you are sick or injured, your body will secrete hormones to help you sleep more. Without sleep, our motor skills suffer and we are more likely to become sick.

Mentally, put into internet terms, it is your brain’s time to delete browsing history, defrag, clear cookies, and archive data. Without sleep, we become disoriented, confused, and potentially ill mentally. We have problems handling detail oriented tasks, using tools, or coping with stress. The difference between the amount of sleep our body needs and the amount of sleep we’re getting annually is sometimes referred to as our sleep deficit.

Some studies suggest that a majority of those suffering from depression also have a more than 1,000 hour sleep deficit per year – but it remains unclear whether the depression is causing the sleep deficit or if the sleep deficit is causing the depression.

Confusing things even more, there are studies saying too much sleep can lead to depression, that wanting to sleep too much is a symptom of depression, and that more sleep can cure depression – so who the hell knows. One thing is certain, there is a relationship of some sort between depression and sleep, and I’m betting healthy sleep practices don’t cause depression and won’t hurt depression either.

The question about whether getting more sleep now to make up for a past deficit is helpful is a tricky one. The answer is yes and no. If I’m only getting 4 hours sleep a night, increasing that number to 7-8 will most certainly have positive short term and long term effects. But if I increase my sleep to 10 hours a day will I get even more benefit? Probably not.

So why am I suggesting that sleep should be part of a preparedness plan? Think about some of the things I listed above:

Without sleep, we begin to lose the ability to:

1. Focus
2. Deal with stress
3. Stay mentally fit
4. Use tools
5. Heal; and
6. Stay well



Aren’t all of those things essential for survival? With sleep, on the other hand, we can do all of those things much more effectively.

Preppers and survivalists talk about storing food, ammo, tools, barter items, cash, and other things of monetary worth like silver and gold. We all agree that starting to do these things after SHTF or TEOTWAWKI will be a lot harder and a lot less productive than doing them now. The same thing is true with sleep. In shorthand, proper sleep equals greater readiness. We prep now for what comes later.

This article says we need between 6 - 8 hours a night and no more (actually suggesting that 8.5 hours is worse for you than 5 hours). But the study only looks at how long we live based on how much sleep we get – not quality of life or ability to function. This article suggests that adults need 7-9 hours of sleep. In other words, the answer – according to science – is unclear.

Science, however, has also shown us that our sleep hormone production centers respond mostly to two stimuli – food intake and available light. We see this with our common sense as well. Animals sleep more in the winter when there is less daylight, at least in part because food is scarce and sleeping slows metabolism and helps to conserve calories.

Additionally there are fewer hours of daylight in the winter, and living organisms respond to darkness with sleep hormones. Millions of dollars are being funneled into studies about Seasonal Affective Disorder – the phenomenon where certain people get more depressed during the winter because of the lack of light. Here, as in so many other areas, we humans seem to have forgotten that we are animals too. We need to do what the animals do. We should probably sleep more in winter (8-9 hours) and less in summer (6.5 – 8 hours).

Put simply, adequate sleep equals better readiness. We need to be sleeping NOW to prepare for THEN. We need to do what our bodies are telling us to do and we need to understand that what our bodies tell us gets adjusted by the season, our diets, and our needs. Get good sleep and do what Mother Nature tells us … sounds like common sense to me.

In the end, we’ll be better prepared for what’s coming and better able to handle what is already here.

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