The author (alias: Jessica Wildfire) points out some rookie mistakes, like one guy who did not realize his electric can opener would not work when the power was

The author (alias: Jessica Wildfire) points out some rookie mistakes, like one guy who did not realize his electric can opener would not work when the power was out, and was "helpless" when the power went out. I guess he's never opened a can with a bayonet. If you can not improvise your way into a tin can with hand tools, you should not be allowed to operate a motor vehicle. These kinds of errors are common to any first attempt. Here's a challenge for preppers: Pull your circuit breakers Saturday morning and turn off the water. See how things go. If you make it 3 hours I will be impressed. Then learn, prepare, and try it again a month later. When you can make it 24 hours, talk to me. Most of my friends were at that level before Y2K. You can not be prepared for everything, but you can: Learn to live without electricity or water for a week or two. * Grow a garden. * Move away from masses of unprepared people. * Learn to hunt (legally,) and fill your freezer with wild game. * Learn to shoot and learn to carry a gun legally where you live. If guns are "illegal," get a license. If you refuse to do that, learn to carry a knife. If all else fails, learn to carry a stick. Read "Stick Combatives" by Massad Ayoob, and practice. Then take a fencing class; that will help you with stick fighting. * Learn to repair things around your home yourself. * Keep extra food in the pantry, keep cases of bottled water. * Prepare go-bags, and test them on a camping trip, after you learn to camp. * Earn a Ham Radio license and learn to talk to your friends without Internet or phones. * Store data in such a way that you only need USB power to get access to it. * Rely on your vehicle when the power is out. Even the silliest little combustion powered econocar can recharge a ton of electronic devices if you have a low battery cutoff and devices with the right chargers. Most car chargers never get used, so most car chargers you buy will not last more than half a charge. * Test your gear. If you have something you have not tested, test it or throw it away.