Your Phone Is Not an Emergency Plan

Think about how much of your life is inside your phone.

Contacts. Maps. Weather alerts. Banking. Documents. News. Camera. Flashlight. GPS.

It's an incredible amount of capability in one pocket.

It's also an incredible amount of dependence on one device.

A dead battery, damaged phone, network congestion, internet outage or extended power failure can suddenly take away much more than your ability to make a call.

Could you navigate home without GPS?

Do you know important phone numbers without opening your contacts?

Could you receive emergency information another way?

Can you make a purchase if electronic payments aren't working?

Build Around It, Not On It

Your phone should absolutely be part of your emergency plan.

Just don't make it the entire plan.

Keep important numbers written down. Have a paper map in your vehicle. Keep some emergency cash. Carry a charged power bank. Know your major roads and alternate routes. Have another way to receive emergency information.

And take advantage of what your phone can do offline. Download maps and important information before you need them.

This isn't about abandoning technology.

It's about redundancy.

Use your phone. Keep it charged. Take advantage of everything it can do.

But have another option for the things that really matter.

Because when your phone stops working, you don't want to discover that it wasn't just your phone.

It was your map, wallet, contact list, information source and emergency plan too.

Plans reduce panic, Preparation creates options. Options create confidence.

— Urban Survival Craft