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Imagine a viral outbreak has occurred. It's highly contagious and dangerous. It's nicknamed the "Zombie Disease" because those killed by the disease seem to rise from the dead and prey upon the living. How will you survive?
REI, the outdoor gear store, has put together a class to provide some advice for that scenario. Your local REI store may be offering a Zombie Preparedness Class. The goal is to teach valuable survival techniques that could save your life. Of course, these same techniques could be just as valuable in the event of any natural disaster.
For me, the class was made relevant by the arrival of Hurricane Sandy that left me without power for a few days. Clearly, I was much better off than those who bore the brunt of the storm in New York and New Jersey. But a close call made me re-evaluate my family's preparedness for a natural disaster.
I feared the REI class would merely be pushing products stocked on the shelves of REI. My fear disappeared when the instructor walked in wearing a military surplus helmet and tactical vest, with a machete strapped to his back and big hunting knife on his belt. REI does not stock those items.
Of course there were REI products in the class. The content of the presentation was focused on having water, food, fire, and shelter. REI is a good source for those products. We had a robust discussion about the pros and cons of different water purification techniques and stove fuels, without pushing any one product in particular.
A big theme was having a positive mental attitude in the face of a disaster. Preparedness will help keep a smile on your face (or at least less of scowl) when things have gone bad. The zombie apocalypse theme helped keep a difficult discussion about survival more light-hearted. A zombie apocalypse is extremely remote. Although I think Alex, the instructor, had a different thought on the possibility. Hurricane Sandy let us know that natural disasters are more likely.
The audience was an interesting mix of demographics. A dad brought his two young boys. Yes, the class was great for kids. One audience member had stopped by after his shift at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's nearby bunker. The rest were mostly average with a slight twist of geekdom that would appreciate the zombie theme.
For those of you in the Greater Boston area, the Reading store has a class on Dec. 4 and the Framingham store has a class on Dec. 6. I noticed the Reading store merely has a REI specialist running the class, while Alex in the Framingham store has apparently earned the title of REI zombie specialist. Check out your local REI store for an upcoming class. Most of the classes are free.
