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Always Be Prepared with These 11 Tips From Netflix’s ‘Wild Man’

By Alina Bradford

Sep 12, 2024

3 min read

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You will likely face some kind of natural disaster in your lifetime. In 2024 alone (as of September 10), there have been 20 confirmed weather/climate disaster events in the United States, with losses exceeding $1 billion each. Since September is National Preparedness Month, it's a great time to prepare yourself for what Mother Nature has in store, whether it's floods, wildfires, hurricanes, or tornadoes. For help with tips, we turned to Brandon Currin, the “Wild Man” featured on Netflix’s Southern Survival, VP of content marketing at BattlBox, and outdoor preparedness and survival skills expert.

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7 Tips for natural disaster preparednessness

"Preparedness and survival is more than going out into the woods and rubbing sticks together. Movies and TV shows tend to give a skewed view of preparedness," says Currin. "People always ask, what are you afraid of? I’m not afraid—I’m confident that I’ll have the knowledge and skill to face any situation I get into." Here are Currin's tips on how you can be prepared, too.

Think about what your daily life looks like. If you commute, keep a medical kit, phone charger, an extra set of clothes, a blanket and more in your car. You never know what type of situation you might end up in if your car breaks down.
Make sure you are aware of other routes to get home in case you get stuck and have to do so on foot. To take it a step further, challenge yourself and practice walking around your neighborhood with weights in a backpack, up to 20 lbs. See how the walk is on your body. Nine out of ten people who think they can do it cannot.
In case you lose power, make sure that you have gasoline, a working generator and proper drop cord with correct sizing to run your refrigerator and freezer.
Have tarps on hand if your roof is damaged during a rain or snowstorm.
Keep a tally on what you have in your home of value and make copies of important documents that you can store in a location outside of your home, like a storage unit or a safety deposit box.
Be sure your family has a plan should you get separated and know different routes to get to that safe place.
Walk your community to make sure you know your way around without a cell phone. If you have kids, practice the routes with them so that they can easily remember.

Our guides for getting prepared

Here are some SafeWise articles that can help you prepare for natural disasters:

6 Personal safety preparedness tips for when natural disasters strike (and other times)

Image: BattlBox

Humanity can be at its best... and worst during a natural disaster. Here's Currin's tips for personal safety:

Self-reliance is always the first responder. If you have the skills and understanding to take care of, protect, and fix yourself in the situation you are in, that is going to be faster than waiting on medics, police, or a good Samaritan to help you. Knowledge is power.
Know what areas you should avoid during specific times of the day.
Always keep cash on you, outside your wallet in an inconspicuous place, like your hat or boots.
Be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on around you.
A noise maker keychain or something similar can draw attention and give you the seconds you need to escape safely. It’s not the sound that unsettles an attacker—it’s the sudden sea of eyeballs.
Nothing in your purse is worth your life—let them take it and create distance.