TEOTWAWKI

I was driving on a suburban East Bay road when the Loma Prieta earthquake shook Northern California in 1989. I was in the shower of my Manhattan apartment when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. My wife and I holed up in our Miami Beach condo while wind and rain from Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Rita buffeted South Florida in 2005. Yes, I’ve seen some pretty serious natural and man-made disasters. Yet I’ve lived in Denver for almost 11 years now and have not prepared—at all—for a worst-case scenario. I have some backpacking supplies (including iodine tablets) and a small collection of pocket knives, but that’s about it. No stockpile of potable water. No food beyond what’s in our fridge and pantry. So, it’s clear—I need to be better equipped in case a once-in-century blizzard paralyzes the Front Range or a pandemic sweeps the country or, you know, Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un gets tired of President Donald Trump’s tweets and pushes the button. I’m guessing a lot of you reading this are in a similar spot, and we’re here to help. 5280 senior editor Spencer Campbell’s “Survival Of The Readiest” may poke a little fun at “preppers,” as they’re known, but the irreverent yet informative feature is bound to give you a few ideas of things you should do for yourself and your loved ones in the event a bona fide catastrophe strikes. But be forewarned: The genuine possibility of calamity he details might freak you out just a little…which is why I’m going to wrap up this letter and go assemble my bug-out bag. Happy prepping.