That is your choice and perfectly within your rights. As a "prepared" person, from a safety and sanitation viewpoint you are more likely safer outside of a shelter that in one if you have your own supplies and adequate shelter (and if you have all of these things, it is probably better to give the shelter space to someone that isn't prepared).



Just about anything can be used as a weapon if enough time and effort is put into it, or god forbid you just use your own bloody bare hands to do the job. The most dangerous weapon is a mind prepared to do violence, and there is no practical way of disarming people of that. That doesn't mean that a shelter isn't within its rights to restrict what IT sees as unreasonable safety risks. WE know we are responsible persons that would not use these tools in irresponsible ways, but a shelter has no practical way of proving that or ensuring that your tools would fall into irresponsible hands. It is a reasonable request in my opinion and one that you are free to choose or not. As far as the shears...I doubt you would ruin them in the "short term", and if so, you could bring a sharpener if it was a major concern.




Really? Then what about these?

Re,

C.Rowe

Nope, it'll never happen. Mr. Ritter is actually well qualified, and could do the job at a reasonable rate. Clearly, he is utterly unsuited to be a government contractor.

Jeff

I have had the priveledge to have the red cross come to a few house fires and some bigger events. I can not say enough good things about them. Please to not take my comments as a assault on the people that serve in the red cross. I was mearly commenting on human nature and how a situation can go from bad to worse to down right chaotic in an instant. My point that I was trying to make (and I guess it was poorly done) is that bringing knives or guns into a place that is already potentially stewing is probably not a great idea for anyone involved. Those who are prepared and forgo the shelter should have some form of cutting devise. In a shelter where everything is in place and provides for the needs of the mass, then there is no need. Thats all. Guess I should have said it that way in the first place

While I understand and appreciate the sentiment, I am pleased to report that technically you are not correct. Miracles do happen. <g>

Earlier this year ETS Foundation successfully completed a test and evaluation contract for the U.S. Coast Guard and I also this year served as a Subject Matter Expert advising a U.S. government contractor on a survival related contract. In fact, while it may turn out to be temporary insanity, we have decided to actively seek additional test and evaluation work from the government to both support the good work ETS does and this site, and perhaps help us all get better value from our tax dollars. Keep your fingers crossed for us...

What is problem here?

Live survivor with knife is problem for goverment. Must be sheltered, fed, housed, provided with medical care. Might even vote against Goverment at next election.

Dead disaster victim is no problem. Just garbage disposal.

And just to add to that:

I scenarioed a Katrina type disaster sometime ago. With large numbers of people under canvas. For months with inadequate numbers of LEO's.

You need armed citizen's either deputised or as posse comatus. To maintain rule of law. That means dealing with the predators. Muggers, Thieves, Wannanbe rapists etc.

No, the no weapons rules may not always be a good idea.

"...Keep your fingers crossed for us..."

Consider them crossed!!!

Leigh, in a long term, semi-Mad Max scenario you describe, you'd discover just how creative humans are. Clawless, fangless, furless, weak, slow, with a fraction of the senses of most species, we're the top of the food chain. Mainly because humans are experts at being efficiently anti-social. *laughs*

While working on the admin staff of a community hospital,
I was assigned the task of writing a disaster manual. Department of health regs required that flooding be addressed. The hospital was located in the foothills of the Adirondacks, and everything sloped away from it. I had research studies by state and federal soil conservation experts indicating that the site could never flood. unfortunately, regs required...so I chose to involve the staff. Standard plan for managing flooding involves emptying waste into plastic bags.

Quiz to the staff: Where should the bags of stuff be stored?

Correct answer: on the roof, well away from the flood water.

Most popular answer: on the admin wing, where they would be right at home with the bags of stuff working there.

So I stopped involving the staff.

The scariest part about writing this stuff is that someone will actually do what it says to do, rather than what is needed.

For an evacuation walk out of Washington DC, I'll admit the corkscrew would be great. For the rest, not so much.

Once again, my point wasn't that I don't carry a knife - I do, in my BOB, in my personal version of a Go Kit. Knives are useful, eventually. I also carry a knife on every hike, sometimes several times a week, and you can count on one hand the number of times I've pulled the knife from my pocket in the past year, but I do use a knife. In a Go Kit, leaving urban Washington DC, I really couldn't see myself making use of most of your list of edge tools, it would just weigh you or me down. Yes, I might miss having your Bit Torx 8 and wire cutters to take over the elevator and save a pregnant woman who is on the same walk to life, narrowly averting delivering a breach in a 6x6 space. But that won't happen so much. If I'm leaving DC with my Go Kit, I'm probably on foot, maybe on public transport, and can't be stopped for anything except water, food, and bedding down for the night. I'm totally reactive, not in control of the situation. Someone has pointed to some actual circumstances where a knife would be useful, such as cutting someone out of a car - that's a a good point, I'd like to save someone from their car accident. But in the end, if I'm leaving DC with just my Go Kit, I'm not very prepared to come to the assistance of others, I may need to stand in the street and yell "does anyone have a knife?"

Maybe having a multitool will help me in alot of situations, I'll leave it in the Go Kit just like I leave mine in a BOB day to day. But having a knife won't make much difference. Hey, that will make a great epitath...

My final point on the Go Kit (really) - I doubt someone left out a knife because it could become a weapon in certain contexts, or to be politically correct. If I tell most people they need a knife, they'll grab cutlery from their kitchen. If they buy a knife at a store they don't research it online the way people on equipped do, and end up buying some Kabar or Multitool. They'll buy a Victornix SAK, which costs $12.95 at Target, and stick it in their Go Kit. They won't keep it in their pocket, because they live in DC, the land of metal detectors and suspicious security staff. And you're right, if its on the list it will make great sales for Victornix. But having all those knives in all those Go Kits wouldn't make much difference to their survival. The folks who made up the list of items for the Go Kits couldn't think up enough vital reasons to include a knife during an evactuation from DC.