I guess I am not quite sure what you are recommending I do in place of or in addition to my get home plan. While there is probably a 75% chance I won't even survive a major quake, or maybe a 90% chance that even if I do survive I will be to injured to go anywhere, I'm not just going to say the odds are bad, I'll do nothing. (those percentages have no basis in fact, but are what I mentally picture). I can't do anything about improving the survivability of the building, nor do I have much say in where I am located within the building. The best I can do is try to be aware of the building and have some idea of where major supports and exits are. I was not thinking of EQ dangers when I took this job, though it will probably be a factor in future jobs. Leaving this job for one better located is probably not a real option at this time. Heck, I feel lucky to have a job at all in the current economic climate. I can see that laying in additional preps to deal with traumatic injury would be good. However, if I am the one with the traumatic injuries, then all else is probably for naught. I am certainly not so far detached from reality that I think I can still make it home if my legs have been crushed. If I am badly injured, then I am going to do what I can for myself and then try to survive long enough for some sort of help to find me. I imagine if my injuries are really serious, I will die waiting the 3+ days it might take for somebody to get to me, but I'm not just going to give up.



Thanks for all the links. I do like having information. Will look through all of it when I get the chance.



Your point about having more trauma supplies and knowing how to use them are good ones and will beef up my work kit in that area.



My images of shelters are probably entirely incorrect and are mostly based on media coverage of the Superdome after hurricane Katrina. Most people I talked to have all said they would rather be on their own then endure that. Beyond that probably hugely incorrect image, I have no idea what a shelter might actually be like. In the case of a large-scale emergency like a big earthquake that may displace tens of thousands of people, I can't imagine anyplace much beyond a big stadium where authorities could put that number of people. As I said though, I have no real facts to work on when it comes to large-scale shelters.

The additional trauma medical supplies and some training are good ones and I will work on that. I like the idea of adding some mass to my walking stick to make it a better defensive weapon. I am not quite sure your intent with the tuna. Are you suggesting this in place of the esbit stove or as some additional supplies?

The idea of "pre-dressing my feet with duct tape" is something I have never heard of. Actually I am not even sure exactly what you mean or what it is intended to do. I have heavy hiking boots with my GHB that I plan to change into before leaving the office. If I can't get to my boots, I probably can't get to duct tape either. Likely I am simpl not understanding what you mean. Always like to hear about new ideas.

Agree on additional medical supplies and training. My two first-aid kits (one to use/leave at the office, one to take with me) both come with first-aid manuals. My deck of survival cards, while sounding cheezy, has some good survival related info on them. A bigger first-aid book for the office is a good idea. Though at the rate the suggestions for first-aid supplies for the office are piling up, I might as well open my own trauma ward.

The walking stick is something I am still investigating. Will look at Canemaster you suggested.

As to cash, sorry if I was not clear. I have a total of $200 split into two $100 groups stored in different places in my GHB. My GHB is only intended to get me home. I have a bigger and better equipped BOB at home. $1000 in cash would be great, but I certainly can't afford to have that amount of cash just sitting idle at work for the next 10 years. Personally I think the chances of my GHB being stolen while it is stored at work are much higher than any emergency big enough that I would need the GHB. Just my own personal view though. Now if you happen to have an extra $1000 you could lend me, lets talk!

The "acquire" was my subtle way of saying break into the vending machine in any manner feasible and take anything I really needed or could be used by others. Wouldn't be my first choice, but if the supplies are needed (not just desired), then I'm not going to let a little thing like lack of electricity stop me. Murphy does live and will be king during any SHTF scenarios!

Your initial gear list includes Sangean DT-180 AM/FM radio. Since information is king during emergency, and timely travel-route info is particularly crucial for you (identifying open bridges), would you be better served by substituting a small handheld multi-band receiver (providing access to more than just AM/FM ... police, fire, emergency responders).

Others living in your area can better comment on real-situation benefit, or does it merely sound good 'on paper?'

The George Washington Memorial Bridge probably wouldn't survive a major earthquake as it looks to be of a similar design to the one that fell down a few years back in Minneapolis. The Fremont Bridge looks to be a better bet and you should have somewhere to sit whilst you ponder how to make the crossing unless of course the Tsunami has swept it away.

Looking at the distance the swim would take to cross the canal from Google Maps looks to be about 50-60 metres so looks quite doable.

Wolfepack... the tuna oil comment was from my Boy Scout years (about 50 ago) I was fortunate to have WWII combat vets as scoutmasters, and a couple of things stuck with me over the years. One was care of your feet... the duck tape is proactive...apply duck tape to areas of your feet eg. heels, large and small toes, outside of foot where there is a probability of blisters occuring, especially if you are not accustomed to long treks before you depart. The tuna thing was to eat the tuna (back in those days most all canned seafood was in heavy oil)and then add some form of wicking to light the oil...we also carried a coil of paraffin filled corrugated cardboard in shoe polish tins that we used with GI metal canteens and canteen cups/stands for heat (we had a habit of planning outings in the rain). A $.12 block of paraffin was usually enough fuel for the weekend camping trip, though we typically built a traditional cook fire. regards Les

I had no idea that scanners were so small. I am less sure about the $300 price tag, but I can certainly see using it for a lot more than just getting home. One reason I did choose the Sangean DT-180 was for the small size, standard batteries, and great battery life. It is hard to tell from the pictures of the rx7, but it looks like it is about five times the volume and twice the weight as the DT-180. Also I can't tell if the AA battery pack replaces the internal rechargeable battery or is an external add-on. I do fully agree that I would prefer all the information I could get. Based on size and price I may rule it out for a GHB, but might be a good addition to my BOB/BOV. Are there other cheaper and/or smaller portable scanners out there? Don't know anything about this area. Thoughts from others on size/price/info trade-offs of a portable scanner for a GHB?

My preferred bridges would be the University or Montlake bridges as they are closest to my preferred route home. Any info on how likely those are to survive an earthquake?

It is amazing what you can do with google maps. That is an excellent place to sit and ponder the best route to cross the river. I'll have to check that place out first hand. Did you stumble across that park bench or are you familiar with the area?

I'm not sure that tuna oil makes a better stove than an esbit tablet, however the idea of having something like a can of tuna available to eat before I start out for home has a some merit. High quality proteins and some fats should help sustain me for a longer period of time. Course, I'm not quite as sure about starting out my march with the taste of tuna in my mouth. Though I am sure that will quickly be the least of my worries.