Saturday, September 6, 2008

USB Survival Kits



With USB drives as cheap as $8 at Walmart, let me recommend something for your survival kit in the modern age.

Here is a suggestion of what to keep on your drive, such as important documents.

  1. Birth certificates
  2. Drivers license
  3. Bank account numbers
  4. Social security cards
  5. Vehicle titles
  6. Photos of loved ones.
  7. Names and numbers of relatives
I am sure you can come up with other ideas to keep on there. But before we go on, let me recommend TrueCrypt. A program that will allow you to encrypt the drive so that only your password will unlock it.

Once you have all your files stored away, get a waterproof container to keep it in. and put it away. Pull it out once every six months and check to see if any files need updating.

In this modern era, there will be a computer for you to access somewhere. In cases of disasters now, the Red Cross sets up Internet hotspots just for people. Most major computer manufactors and phone providers participate in this as well.

Access to your important documents instantly will go a long way into restoring your life. In a severe case, most banks and other institutions will not be able to access your records for several weeks.

If you don't get anything out of this post, consider this: people will trust what a computer screen tells them over what paper tells them. Let someone read an email that tells them the parkbench has just been painted, and they will believe it. Tell them face to face, and they will have to touch it to be sure.

1 comment:

Durham Bull Pen said...

Good ideas! I really should scan all my important documents and save the files.

Thanks!