Guess for me, my upbringing predestined me to end up here. Was fascinated at a young age by the occasional stories my dad told of his experiences as a B-26 pilot in WWII. My interest really piqued, though, in the mid-50s when, as a SAC pilot (under the venerable Curtis E. Lemay), he went through the AF Survival School at Stead AFB, Nevada. As an eleven-year-old, I thought that was as cool as it gets, and I pumped him for the smallest of details (They really have schools to teach you that stuff? Huh, dad?).

About that same time, I first read Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island. A great tale of long-term survival on an island off the Atlantic coast during the Civil War. Awesome book. I was hooked. Involvement in the Boy Scouts came next.

After concluding my own “good times” in the military, I rekindled an interest in hiking and backpacking. My early “survival kits” 30 years ago were – to me anyway – a logical part of those outdoor activities. Eventually, I realized that preparedness had broader applications, in everyday life, not just my treks to the hills. Probably more so today than ever.

At some point in my ‘net surfing, stumbled across ETS site; lurked for a long time, enjoyed the forum, the folks, and benefited from the info, so decided to make it official. Besides, what a convenient rationalization for the acquisition of new “stuff.”

Dan

And if I may briefly drift off-topic: my greatest preparedness coup has to be finally getting my wife to carry a Photon and small SAK on her keychain. She whose concept of a PSK was a broken-nail repair kit.