I recently watched a video called “Thirty Things
Your Iphone has Replaced.” It’s pretty
interesting to see how many things that used to be common accessories in
everyone’s homes 25 years ago, have been made obsolete by the smart phone. One good example would be that most families
used to have a set of encyclopedias. Who
buys encyclopedias now that you can go on your internet connected smart phone
and look up anything you want?
But, this video got me to thinking about the
flip-side of the smart phone as an information multi-tool. What would happen if your smart phone was
suddenly rendered useless? What items
would you wish that you had if your smart phone cratered? What follows is a short list for your
consideration:
Communication Devices
Although it is used for many other purposes, the
smart phone is still primarily a means of communication. The network of cell towers that supports this
technology is extremely vulnerable to EMP attacks. If an EMP attack ever occurred, cell phone
service would probably end. Some
alternatives to the cell phone might include hardwired field telephones for close
by communication, rechargeable walkie-talkies and CB base stations for wider
area (but still fairly limited) communications, and shortwave radio for long
distance communication.
Compass
It never fails to amaze me when people show up for a
survival class and expect to use the compass tool on their cell phone as a real
compass. No, no, no, no! So many things can go wrong with a cell phone
or its related infrastructure. They are
far too unreliable to ever take the place of a real compass. Spend the $10 and buy a real compass to stick
in you bug out bag or glove box.
Maps
Google Maps and various GPS applications have made
paper maps virtually obsolete. Don’t
fall into this trap. You need to at
least have a state road map. Better still;
buy several topographic maps of the area around your home.
Flashlight
Everybody uses the flashlight on their smart
phone. Yes, it’s very convenient, but
have a back-up. You need an LED
flashlight, rechargeable batteries, and a solar battery charger.
Books
No more looking things up on Google, no more reading
e-books from Amazon; you’re going to have to go old school. It’s a shame that books take up so much
space, but it’s a burden you’ll just have to bare. You’ll need books on gardening, plant
identification, canning and food preservation,
first aid and medical guides, repair manuals, gunsmithing books; all of
the practical how-to books that you can find.
You’ll need books for entertainment (stick to the timeless classics),
and don’t forget the children’s books.
If you have room throw in a set of encyclopedias.
Games
You won’t be playing Candy Crunch on your smart
phone anymore. Buy a deck of cards, some
dominoes, a few dice, a set of checkers with board, and a chess set. A few old school board games wouldn’t hurt
either. Yatzee once got my wife and I
through six months without electricity when we were young. Also, definitely buy a copy of Hoyle’s
Rules of Games. It has the rules and
how to play every card and dice game you’ve ever heard of and a bunch that you
haven’t heard of.
Pencil and Paper
Everybody takes notes, makes grocery lists, etc on
their smart phones. Without a working
smart phone you’ll need to do it the old fashioned way with a paper and
pencil. Buy yourself a couple of boxes
of pencils and a few spiral notebooks.
They don’t take up much space, and they could come in very handy.
Musical Instrument
You won’t be listening to that play list anymore
after your smart phone bites the dust.
How about learning to play a musical instrument? My wife and I belong to a re-enactment group
that uses no gear more modern than 1836.
We always have a campfire with a group sing-along. One person plays guitar, a couple of people
play the boron (a kind of Celtic hand drum), one plays the harmonica, and
another plays the penny whistle and sometimes the fiddle. The rest of us sing along loudly and poorly,
and we all have a great time.
Weather Instruments
No more weather app, so buy yourself a thermometer,
a barometer, and a rain gauge. Learn a
little about cloud formations and weather prediction.
Calendar
The calendar and alerts function on your smart phone
is very handy; but if your smart phone is useless, you’ll wish that you had an
old time paper calendar. Some businesses
still give them away for free, or you can buy one or print one off of the
internet.
Self Winding Watch
Hardly anyone under the age of 50 wears a wristwatch
any more. Most people just glance down
at the screen of their ever present smart phone. Knowing the exact time may not be all that
important in a survival situation, but if you feel the need to know the time
you will need an old fashioned wrist watch.
I would recommend a good quality self winding watch so you don’t have to
worry about batteries running out. I had
a not so high quality self winder that lasted for over 10 years without
repair. Hey, if you have deep pockets
buy a Rolex and you’ll probably be fixed for life.
Photo Album
If you have pictures that mean a lot to you; spouse,
children, parents, etc; print them out and put them in a photo album. You should do this anyway. You could lose or damage your phone, and the
pictures would be lost.
Solar Powered Calculator
Unless you are an engineer or a math teacher you
probably depend on the calculator on your smart phone. You really should buy an inexpensive solar
powered calculator as a back-up in case your smart phone becomes useless.
Well, there’s my little list. Now, I have to admit that I don’t even own a
smart phone, so I’m sure that some of you smart phone owners can come up with a
lot of things that should be added to this list. If you think of anything feel free to add it
in the comments section below.
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