I admit this makes a bit of sense.
The good thing about a closet is it has lots of clothes, blankets, pillows, and other soft objects that can protect you from flying debris. But, it’s also a good idea to have a helmet, like a bicycle helmet stored in your safe place.
What to have in your severe weather preparedness kit (wkrn.com)
I do have a plain jane safety helmet from the CERT kit I was given when I took the classes, but I never thought about using it during the actual SHTF event. Truthfully I don’t even know where is it at this moment.
The selections found in Amazon are too wide to even consider here, so you are on your own and budget. My local Home Depot has also a great variety under $20 and some under $10, so we are not talking about an expensive item to get.
The rest of the article goes like this:
Have some drinking water, as well as some snacks on hand in case you are there for a while.
Don’t forget a flashlight with extra batteries. You want to have a call phone charger to charge up your phone. It’s also a good idea to have a portable radio or a NOAA weather radio on hand.
But there’s one thing that most people forget to have in their safe place.
“The CDC says that 48% of Americans don’t have a first aid kit in their home,” said Brad Greer, CEO of DrySee, a company that manufactures first aid supplies. “So, have one or two first aid kits in your home. And have basic items, bandages, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes.”
Somehow, I feel most if not all of my readers have a SHTF kit that surpasses these recommendations a hundred-fold. If you have not seen my previous post about the Southcom Hurricane Survival Kit, here is the link: Repost: Southcom Hurricane Survival Kit. (Hurricane Irma Blues) – Gun Free Zone
And one of many posts about First Aid kits. Search other posts at your content: Personal First Aid Kit/Oh Sh**! Pack – Gun Free Zone
I participate in motorsports and our helmets “age out” after 10 years (plus one year grace) from when a Snell rating expires. So, I keep my old helmets in the basement and in my bedroom closet for use during tornado warnings. They’re “full face,” so they offer a significantly greater amount of protection than a bicycle helmet (not slamming the latter, mind you).
A few things to keep in mind about helmets…
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One, as Scrappy notes, motorcycle helmets have an expiration date. The impact absorbing materials compact with use over time, but they can also start breaking down due to the environment they’re used and stored in (for instance, UV degradation of the shell). More generally, modern safety helmets of various kinds are intended for “single use,” e.g. after a significant event or impact they’re supposed to be replaced; much like cars, they are designed to absorb impact energy by processes such as delamination and compression.
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Two, it’s important to keep in mind what a particular helmet is designed for. A good on-road motorcycle helmet, for instance, is designed to keep a head protected from impacts at speeds corresponding to a vertical fall of about 5-6′ (e.g. from riding-the-bike height to the pavement) and then abrasion. And of course, a full-face helmet with a face shield also provides good eye protection against wind-blown debris. A canonical “hard hat” has a different set of “use cases,” as would a bump helmet. Generally helmet types should not be considered interchangeable in terms of general use. (Emergency use is another matter, of course, but that’s a different discussion.)
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Finally, if you’re in a dustup, helmets can help protect against thumps on the head, chin (if full face), etc. … but they also give the bad guy more available torque if he’s trying to move your head around or twist your neck.
RE that last bit … assuming the helmet is secured to the head, either by close fit or straps, or both.
This also reminds me of Ron White’s alternative to that ridiculous terror threat color code system: “Get a helmet,” and “Put on the damn helmet.”