It's a shame that ETS isn't REQUIRED STUDYING before these people take to the outdoors......then again who am I kidding....even if they read these posts, it would still mean that they would have to be able to learn from someone else's mistakes.....seems to me that they need to experience (themselves) something MASSIVELY traumatic to gain even a modicum of an idea....

IMO, it is more basic. Who is in control of your and your family's safety? You or someone else? I feel, and think everyone on this forum feels: "I am." Yet, I have met many people who think it is someone else. . .don't understand it, but there it is.

There are a lot of clueless people in the world; God bless 'em. A lot of people in urban environments are so used to 24x7 convenience stores, continuous cell phone access, etc. What's the point in planning or being prepared? Just get it as you need it; there's continuous availability. I doubt it's conscious. It's the way it's always been; this is the nature of things.

It just doesn't occur them that suddenly the nature of things has changed. You can't just duck into the nearest building if a shower hits or you're cold. There is no fire department that you can call and have be there in under 10 minutes. It's now all up to you. I actually have a bit of grace for folks like this who just don't know any better while still shaking my head and saying to myself, "what were they thinking?"

Of course, I indict myself as well, city dweller that I am. I went on vacation in Utah last Memorial Day. I didn't bring all that much in the way of everyday food (emergency stuff, yes, but not the everyday stuff). Every town has a grocery store, right? Um, no. Maybe in Los Angeles, County, California, but in the hinterlands of Utah, it ain't necessarily so. A bit of a culture shock to be told that the little convenience type store in town was it and that the nearest grocery store was about an hour and a half drive away. Ah, life. Well, if you can't laugh at yourself once in a while, life can become a pretty grim business. Live and learn. I'm just glad that I lived long enough to get on this forum.