The E.M.P. Chronicles (Book 1): 458 Miles & 24 Days

by McTatey, Zayden (Oz)

  Oz stood in amazement at his twenty-four-year-old son who continued and asked, “What code, I’m not following you.”

  “Dad, you create a master list in a binder of all items by name and location and hide it somewhere no one would find it, but the family knows where it is. So, if mom is looking for acetaminophen because she has a headache, she would go to the master list and on the alphabetical listing look up acetaminophen. The list would show ‘Garage - Christmas Supplies – Bin 1.’ Mom would then go to the garage, find the bin labeled Christmas supplies, open it, find Bin 1, and there she would find her acetaminophen,” BJ explained.

  “BJ, where did all this come from? That’s an outstanding idea but I would never have thought it would come from you. Where did you learn or hear of that?”

  BJ exclaimed, “I read a book called The Prepper’s Handbook by Zion Prepper. It’s pretty good. It gives you an overview of prepping and how to prepare. I know you’ve been teaching us our whole life but sometimes you need an outside influence.”

  “Better late than never,” Oz thought to himself.

  After Oz recovered from his son’s outstanding idea of how to store items, he took his handwritten list of supplies, bin description, and container list and created a table in Excel. He alphabetized the list by medication first and then by symptom and then printed out two separate tables. He placed the list of medications and medical supplies in a protective plastic sheet and then into a three-ring binder. The three-ring binder would be hidden in between the bins of medical supplies and the location only known to the family.

  Now that the garage was complete, Oz continued to do the same with the contents of the shed. The task of sorting became easier using the labeling and storage method BJ recommended. The only change is that some supplies would be stored in the garage while others would be stored in the shed. It was simple enough. Oz simply denoted ‘Garage - Christmas Supplies – Bin 1’ if in the garage or ‘Shed – Christmas Supplies – Bin 1’ if in the shed. Oz found this method so useful that he did the same for his Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Suits and masks, lanterns, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s), water filtration devices, long-term food stores, batteries, canning supplies, light sources, knife collection, and other prepping supplies.

  6

  Bug Out Bags

  NOW THAT THE GARAGE AND SHED WERE ORGANIZED OZ TURNED to preparing his family. He had prepared Bug Out Bags (BOBs) or Get Home Bags for the family before. He even had the family help him prepare the bag and its contents but soon the bags were simply thrown into their cars and forgotten. Over time the emergency supplies in the BOBs were missing, damaged, or expired. This frustrated Oz, but he knew that one day his family would depend on the Bug Out Bags and even if his family didn’t have an interest in taking care of them, he would.

  Oz started with Cali’s BOB. Cali was Oz and Nicki’s middle child and the princess of the family. She had beautiful long blonde hair and a perfect smile that cost Oz and Nicki $6,000. She was smart, good looking, and dangerously witty. Her quick retorts and sense of humor created a beautiful woman. At nineteen years old Cali was a sophomore studying Health Care Administration at Middle Tennessee State University. She was in an awkward phase of life where she was trying to ‘figure her life out’ and her grades often reflected it. To boot, she had minimal survival and preparation skills which scared Oz. He showed her how to shoot a gun yet wasn’t confident she would remember any of the training. He showed her how to start fires but knew she would be challenged. He kept this in mind as he went through her Bug Out Bag. He had to make everything, from food preparation to first aid as simple as possible.

  Oz took Cali’s Bug Out Bag out of her car and began to go through it. For the most part, everything was there but several items needed to be replaced or updated. The first task was to examine the Bug Out Bag itself to ensure there were no tears or holes. He examined each pocket, zipper, and all the seams. They looked good. He then started with the medical supplies by taking all the contents out of the front pouch and laying them on the workbench.

  Each Bug Out Bag had a standard first aid kit with supplements recommended by Nicki. After examining and ensuring good expiration dates, he added additional packets of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, Quick Clot to stop excessive bleeding, burn gel, Benadryl for allergic reactions, emergency blankets, and an IDF Israeli Army bandage which can be used to stop bleeding as well as being used for a tourniquet. Oz reassembled all medical supplies and placed them back in the compartment.

  Oz then examined the fire making supplies. Cali had the essentials: waterproof matches, blast match, two lighters, cotton balls with Vaseline, charcloth, twine, and several candles. Oz continued and made sure she had extra clothing that included a pair of camouflage pants, a long-sleeve shirt, socks, undergarments, a hat, and hair ties. He made sure she had four Mountain House® freeze-dried food pouches, four US Coast Guard Emergency water pouches, and a Life Straw® for water purification.

  For communication, he included a Baofeng® UV-5R radio that was vacuum sealed. On the outside of the BOB were her SOG® survival knife, Morakniv® Companion backup knife, headlamp, flashlight, and two military glow sticks. Oz then wrote a letter to Cali outlining what to do in an emergency, placed the letter in an envelope, and the envelope in a plastic Ziplock® bag to protect it. The letter was then placed in the main compartment of the Bug Out Bag which is the first place she would look in an emergency. The letter read:

  Cali,

  If you are reading this letter the Stuff Hit the Fan. I know you well and there would be no other reason for you to use the contents of this Bug Out Bag.

  First, let me tell you that your safety is priority one. Be aware of your surroundings and constantly, I mean constantly scan your immediate area for danger. Head home!!!! If it’s safe to travel during the day do so but be cautious. If you question your safety, only travel at night and hide during the day. IF TRAVELING AT NIGHT, PUT ON THE CAMOUFLAGE PANTS AND LONG-SLEEVE SHIRT. I want you to put the hat on and use the hair ties I’ve included to put your hair up. This is one time I don’t want you looking like my beautiful angel. I want you to blend in or be a gray woman.

  Second, get home. I’ve included maps in the Velcro compartment on the very back of the Bug Out Bag. These are just in case your car doesn’t run or the highways are impassable. ALWAYS use back roads where possible.

  Third, if possible find your cousin and both of you travel together. If you can’t find him, recruit another male friend who can help escort you home. Only use someone you trust. You have several good friends so I’m hoping this is not an issue. DO NOT bring home an army of your friends. We do not have enough food to feed everyone if this disaster last for years. If your friend needs a little persuasion, and the Stuff truly hit the fan, tell him we will take care of him and to the best of our ability get him home.

  Fourth, your Bug Out Bag contains many things to keep you safe, warm, and fed. You have:

  First aid kit with many different supplies including feminine products

  Baofeng radio (when you’re close to the house contact us on Channel 1)

  3 flashlights

  3 Mountain House freeze-dried meals

  4 US Coast Guard water pouches

  Life Straw® (use to filter water from a creek or a questionable source)

  Waterproof matches, blast match, cotton balls, char cloth, lighters, twine, and candles

  Two knives (on the outside of your BOB)

  Light (headlamp, glow sticks, and Stream Light™ flashlight)

  Emergency blankets

  Writing tools (Sharpie™ and Fisher™ Space Pen) with notebook

  Fifth, if you are the first person home, go to the safe in the garage and grab the Red Binder that is labeled ‘SHTF—Elevated Threat Manual.’ Read it, then re-read it and FOLLOW all directions. This binder contains directions on how to secure our house.

  If
you get in a bad situation I want you to FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE. Do not give up. Pull hair. Kick or hit guys in the nuts. As hard as you can, push your finger through someone’s eyeballs. Punch someone in the throat as hard as you can. Get your finger in your attacker’s ear and push as hard as you can. FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!

  I love you very much, now GET HOME!

  Love, Dad

  In all, the Bug Out Bag weighed ten pounds but contained everything Cali needed to get home in an emergency. Oz repeated this task for Nicki, Randall, and BJ making each letter unique to the family member based on skills and distance from home. Oz also ensured that each Bug Out Bag was identical to the next except for color. This was by design. The color of the Bug Out Bag denoted which family member it belonged to. He standardized and used the exact same model of Bug Out Bag for each family member and each pocket and compartment on them contained the exact same items. Regardless of which Bug Out Bag you were using, you always knew where the item you were looking for was located.

  With the BOBs now prepared, Oz took Nicki and Randall into the garage and showed them where important items were. He showed them how to put on a Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) suit and how to wear the NBC mask. He demonstrated how to install the NBC filters and they discussed how long they could be worn before being changed. Oz showed them were the flashlights could be found and even showed them how to light an old-fashioned white gas Coleman® lantern. He showed them were the backup heaters were and explained why he had kerosene, propane, and butane heaters. He placed the Baofeng UV-5R handheld radio on his workbench and went over the basic functionality of the radio. He also pointed out that there were five pre-programmed channels that were labeled and would be used by the family in an emergency.

  He was showing them where the multi-fuel generators were stored when Randall asked, “Dad, why do you have some many generators? They’re still in the box. Looks like they’re new.”

  Before Oz could respond, Nicki quipped, “Because your dad has more than he needs. They’re sitting there wasting away.”

  “No, ma’am,” Oz stated. “They’re for bartering. I got them on sale and know they will be the perfect barter item.”

  “Oz, why is it that everything you buy is always on sale? That’s what you tell me,” Nicki half serious, half laughing said.

  “Because it always is,” Oz said without making eye contact with Nicki. In his heart, he knew he was doing the right thing to make sure his family was prepared.

  7

  Relocation

  THE DREADED THIRD MONTH HAD FINALLY ARRIVED. OZ KNEW that he had to get back to work and was thankful to have had the time off to prepare and organize things for his family. It was early in February 2018 when Oz accepted a job in Georgia. Oz was excited about the opportunity, but he would be going alone. Randall was only a junior in high school and Oz knew to move him to a new city in a new state would not be fair to him. Kentucky was Randall’s home. Nicki and Oz agreed that she and Randall would stay in Kentucky while he finished high school.

  “Thank God I have some confidence that the family should be ready for an SHTF,” Oz said to himself.

  The first thought in Oz’s mind was the safety of his family and the second thought was how he would get home in an SHTF situation while in Georgia. He knew that they had a Bug Out Location that Nicki, Cali, and Randall could easily get to but it didn’t’ help Oz who would be 458 miles away from the house and over 600 miles away from the Bug Out Location. He also knew that if it was bad Brian and Elizabeth would bug out and would be there to support Nicki, Cali, and Randall.

  “What could possibly go wrong,” Oz stated out loud to no one. “Viral pandemic, financial collapse, solar flare, electromagnetic pulse (EMP), cyberattack.” As he thought, Oz realized he needed to prepare for the worst case scenario; that would be an EMP. “Ok, I’ll make contingency plans to get home if there were an EMP. Worst case, the sun ejects a solar flare or North Korea or Iran launches a nuke and detonates it above the United States. There we have it, no power, no car, no electronics, no gas, no way home; 458 Miles and 24 days from my house.”

  Oz knew he needed multiple plans to get home. After all, there is no way of predicting when or how an EMP could happen. The three plans would be Plan A: Car, Plan B: Bike, Plan C: Walk.

  If the US lost power because of a cyberattack he knew there was a reasonable chance he could get home by driving his car. Cyberattacks would affect only systems plugged into the electric grid. Banks, hospitals, grocery stores, gas stations, commercial businesses, emergency responders would all be affected but not his car. He knew he would be able to jump into his car, which was fully stocked with the necessary supplies, and drive home. The challenge would be access to fuel. He planned on only having the fuel in his tank and that was it; no ability to stop for fuel. With this in mind, Oz always kept his gas tank full and, as a backup measure, purchased two five-gallon gas cans, which he kept full. He added fuel stabilizer to extend the life of the fuel and stored the containers in his apartment. This gave Oz over thirty gallons of fuel to get home. This was more than enough fuel to get home and still leave him a half tank of fuel.

  As he continued to plan his way home he knew having a car would be the easiest and fastest way to get there. He would throw his But Out Bag and the two five-gallon gas cans in the car and head home. He would not travel the main highways unless he could leave early enough before the rest of the sheeple realized their world would be forever changed. The plan would be to travel throughout the night and use backroads only. Back roads would take more time, but they would help him avoid the masses. If all went well, he would be home in seven hours.

  “Plan A complete. Now on to Plan B,” Oz told himself.

  Oz knew beyond a cyberattack there existed three other options. They were a solar flare, Coronal Mass Ejection, or an electromagnetic pulse created by a nuclear weapon. Regardless of the source of the EMP, cars would stop, satellites would fail rendering GPS and cell phones utterly useless, and the lives of many millions of people would ultimately end in death. Oz knew there were only two reasonable transportation choices should any of the three affect the power grid. He would either have to walk home or ride a bike. Walking home would be his last option. His Plan B was a bicycle, but what type?

  Like most people, he was only familiar with the two most common types which were a ten-speed and a mountain bike neither of which would work for his purposes. He knew he needed a portable, lightweight, and compact bicycle that could be easily stored in or on his car. The bike needed the ability to carry not only himself but his equipment as well so it would need some type of storage rack, too. Should he buy a ten-speed, mountain bike, or even a motorized bicycle?

  Oz immediately began researching the available options and was overwhelmed at what was offered. Ultimately, he purchased an eighteen-speed, black, Columba twenty-six-inch folding bike. This was a good choice for Oz. The bike could easily be folded in half and only weighed thirty-six pounds. Being a mountain bike with eighteen speeds, he felt comfortable that it would be the best option of traveling home with his equipment in the event of a solar EMP. The bike was not the most rugged option, but it was cost effective and functional for what he needed. With a bike, Oz conservatively thought he could ride an average of forty miles per day. Whether he biked or walked, he had to take into consideration that he would be traveling through some steep terrain and elevation changes. This would most definitely slow him down. Other obstacles would include weather, possible injuries to himself, finding water sources, hunting or scavenging for food, scouting routes ahead of him, taking alternate routes away from or around main roads, and even helping others along the way.

  He relaxed a moment and then muttered to himself, “Plan A and B complete. Now, onto Plan C: walking home.”

  The numbers 458 and 24 kept reminding him of his challenge.

  “That’s a lot of food to carry. What about water? How will I protect
myself? What shoes do I wear? How do I dress? Do I travel through major cities or take backroads? Do I travel at night or during the day? So many questions to answer,” he thought.

  The first and most important task was for Oz to map out the route he would walk. If he could leave Georgia at the beginning of the SHTF event he knew his travels and route would be easier. He knew that most people would simply stay home and wait for the power to come back on. Even though their cars wouldn’t start, their TV and computer wouldn’t turn on, their cell phones didn’t work they would have faith that everything would be fine and working within hours. After all, the power had always come back on within hours and, in a worst-case scenario, days. Oz would use this mindset to his advantage. It would take days but definitely less than a week before the unprepared realized they and their families were in trouble. During their period of ignorant bliss, he would travel home.

  As Oz mapped his travels he determined it would be best to walk an average of twenty plus miles per day. Over twenty miles per day was a stretch given he would need to eat, sleep, and rest but somewhat realistic given that professional hikers walked thirty to forty miles per day in all types of terrain. Oz was in shape but not the greatest of shape and it was safe to assume that a pace of two to three miles per hour was reasonable. This was a relatively slow pace, but given the unknown obstacles he would encounter, it was a starting point.