Only nine meals separate us from anarchy – this is one of the favorite quotes of our guest Krzysztof Lis, who has been advising on how to prepare for the unknown for over a dozen years. This is a conversation about why it is worth having two zloty coins, bitcoin and a few used wedding rings in an evacuation backpack, whether it is possible to swallow food rations that are 10 years out of date, and when and to whom to evacuate.
“This is the last good moment, because tomorrow it may be worse, more difficult and more expensive” – Krzysztof Lis likes to repeat, so it is worth starting today with an analysis of the situation, i.e. our needs and possibilities. First of all, finances – it's easier run away with the wallet in which we have the means of payment (and it's not about the zloty. Hryvnias were of little use to Ukrainians abroad, at least at the beginning of the war). So what to take?
Currencies or gold? Bitcoins or credit cards?
– Not only the Polish currency should be included in the emergency kit. After all, I cannot assume that a currency exchange office in Germany will behave like the National Bank of Poland and purchase the currency of the attacked country. Let's choose the currency of the country where we are, so if it's the Czech Republic, it's the Czech crown – explains Krzysztof Lis.
In addition to them, of course, it lists euros, dollars, Swiss francs, British pounds and bitcoins. Gold – yes, because even if it gets wet, it is still gold (not wet paper) and it is good to have it as part of preparations for financially difficult times. However, escaping with them can be complicated.
– Because if we do pay for crossing the border with a gold coin, the other party will immediately think that if he has one, he has more. It is easier to build a narrative related to the wedding ring by saying that “Here is my grandfather's jewelry, please let my family and me through the border,” the expert describes.
Everyone assumes that you only have one or two wedding rings. That's why some people advise buying even a dozen or so used gold wedding rings or rings in pawnshops or second-hand as a future means of payment.
Bitcoin is the easiest to transport across the border. – Nobody will steal it from us if we are attacked somewhere along the road – he explains.
Will it start with a blackout?
Drone swarms will not necessarily be responsible for the crisis. In fact, all you need to do is pull the plug and after a few days, despite the accumulated supplies (or maybe even because of them), you will have to deal with thugs robbing your house. So what should we pay attention to? This is the big unknown.
Once again: neither television nor the Internet will warn us that a mega-crisis has just begun. Two: no one can predict whether this crisis is just a temporary failure or whether the Stone Age 2.0 has just begun. Three: no one can predict how this will end.
A country that was devastated by the blackout is an excellent target for Russia.
– I wouldn't be surprised at all if the NATO-Russia war scenario started with such a cyber attack on our entire energy infrastructure that the entire NATO, or at least its eastern flank, collapsed. Then Russian tanks enter more easily than if there had been no blackout – describes Krzysztof Lis.
Some people say that we need to keep an eye on embassies (especially the American one): if they reduce the number of people, something may happen. Others say that you should observe the business and notice the moment when the sale of assets begins. Google Maps showed traffic jams of Russian troops preparing for the invasion. But are we, as ordinary people, able to notice it or keep track of it at night? Probably not, because you can go crazy.
Certainly, the moment when our artillery battery deploys in our neighborhood is too much too late. Because what should to be a civilian in the war? The answer is simple: civilians should not be at war.
It's easier to improvise with a checklist
Please remember that no plan will survive contact with the enemy, but it is worth having a few scenarios prepared and some additional purchases. This way we will avoid frantically wondering “oh my God, what now”.
There is no point in waiting to make purchases, as every crisis situation ends in panic. People buy goods whose price goes up significantly. An example is food rations, which cost about PLN 20 for an adult for one whole day, and after Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, they increased to several dozen.
– When everyone rushes to the stores, it will simply be too late. Therefore, now is really the last good moment – explains the co-author of the Domowy Survival podcast.
Evacuation backpack. How much should you pay to prepare for the unknown?
The evacuation backpack is once again experiencing a renaissance after the words of the head of the Ministry of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who stated that he has had one packed since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Government Security Center has updated the list of items that should be included in such luggage. We asked the source, i.e. preppers.
