Someone ratted me out. I won't name names but her initials are Nell. So, here's my intro. A few years late but I consider it a fashionable entrance.
Your Approximate Age: 57
Your Gender: M (No, really)
Your Geographic Location (small town in West Virginia, family ranch in Texas, or the “the Lower East Side”)
Central Indiana just north of Indianapolis
Your Occupation (present and relevant past, such as military, technical, etc.)
Currently own an outdoor store. Retired after 30 years with Verizon. I taught college shortly after my retirement and I've done some consulting. I spent several years managing disaster recovery and business continuity for GTE's IT group prior to the merger so preparedness is sort of ingrained.
Your Prior Relevant Training (all types, such as first aid, military, firearms, survival, etc.)
First Aid. CPR certified.
The Nature of Your Prior Experience (Terrain, Season, Number of times/years, and longest duration in Wilderness)
Always the Midwest. I have traveled extensively in the continental U.S. with business so I'm familiar with climates and seasons of other locales. I abandoned my old ways training after reaching my 20s and spent the next 20 years or so worrying about raising a family and making a living. Then I realized what a mistake that had been and started trying to relearn what I had forgotten and everything I should have learned. There is a great need, I think, to blend the old and new ways. Knowledge of both is invaluable and one shouldn't be forsaken for the other.
Your Level of Experience (novice, intermediate, advanced, expert, instructor, etc.)
I'll say intermediate. Probably novice around some folks or environments. Always learning. It's a passion and a life long endeavor for me.
Your Preparedness Planning (type and level)
I'm primarily concerned with natural disasters. I think they are far more likely to happen than any other event. I'm a bug in kind of guy but recognize there are scenarios that require bugging out so I'm prepared for that as well. I would like to think that I'm well prepared but I always find gaps in the plan that need plugged and I know no plan survives first contact with the enemy so I'm on a seemingly endless quest of preparedness.
Your Interests and Hobbies (gardening, wilderness skills, urban survival preparation, knife-making, firearms, food storage, backpacking, etc. )
Gardening, food storage, wilderness skills to some degree (I know the basics: fire, shelter, etc but don't want to get into tanning or knapping type skills), I enjoy taking old stuff and making it functional again or building something out of junk. I used to do a lot of wood working but not so much any more.
Your Membership and Learning Objectives
I'm a learning sponge, I guess. Knowledge is the most valuable thing we can "own" so I try to absorb as much as I can. This forum is a tremendous source of information.
Networking and community, too. Lots of good folks on here and I've been lucky and privileged to meet a few.
I'll share a couple of secrets since this is my intro. 1) I've eaten two twinkies in the last 20+ years. Both were at the Jamboree and both for the camera. 2) I don't own a thong but I won't tell what I really wear.
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