Urban Survival Hacks: 5 Things They Don't Teach Women

Some folks are busy prepping for a zombie apocalypse in some remote cabin, but what if the crisis unfolds right in the city you call home? Five urban survival hacks will keep you safe when things go sideways. Listen to find out what they are.

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Episode Transcript

Lynn Jordan: Some folks are busy prepping for (00:00):
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Lynn Jordan: a zombie apocalypse in a remote (00:01):
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Lynn Jordan: cabin. (00:03):
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Lynn Jordan: But what if the crisis unfolds right in the city you call home? (00:04):
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Lynn Jordan: Five urban survival hacks will (00:08):
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Lynn Jordan: keep you safe when things go (00:10):
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Lynn Jordan: sideways. (00:11):
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Lynn Jordan: Listen to find out what they are. (00:12):
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Lynn Jordan: Hi, I'm the urban lady prepper. (00:16):
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Lynn Jordan: I help single moms and solo (00:18):
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Lynn Jordan: women with practical emergency (00:19):
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Lynn Jordan: preparedness. (00:21):
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Lynn Jordan: But of course, all are welcome to become better prepared for (00:22):
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Lynn Jordan: whatever happens next. (00:26):
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Lynn Jordan: The most common visual of a prepper is a macho, solo white (00:28):
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Lynn Jordan: dude roughing it in the woods with an off grid cabin, waiting (00:31):
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Lynn Jordan: for a global collapse and EMP. (00:35):
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Lynn Jordan: The pole shift or some other SHTF scenario. (00:37):
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Lynn Jordan: But the prepper community is more diverse than that, both in (00:41):
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Lynn Jordan: practice and in location. (00:44):
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Lynn Jordan: Remember the walking Dead with (00:46):
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Lynn Jordan: hordes of zombies ravaging (00:47):
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Lynn Jordan: Atlanta? (00:49):
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Lynn Jordan: I'm sure that got some of you thinking about what you would do (00:50):
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Lynn Jordan: if a major crisis unfolded right in the city where you lived. (00:53):
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Lynn Jordan: The concrete jungle has its own predators, its own traps, and (00:57):
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Lynn Jordan: the skills that keep you alive in the wilderness might just get (01:00):
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Lynn Jordan: you unalive here. (01:03):
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Lynn Jordan: So I want to share with you five (01:05):
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Lynn Jordan: urban survival hacks that will (01:07):
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Lynn Jordan: keep you safe that they don't (01:08):
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Lynn Jordan: teach you. (01:09):
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Lynn Jordan: These are the counterintuitive tactics that aren't your (01:10):
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Lynn Jordan: grandpa's camping tips. (01:13):
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Lynn Jordan: This is about rewiring your (01:15):
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Lynn Jordan: brain to see the city not as a (01:17):
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Lynn Jordan: death trap, but as your greatest (01:19):
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Lynn Jordan: resource. (01:21):
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Lynn Jordan: So let's get into it. (01:22):
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Lynn Jordan: Hack number one is to weaponize your daily commute. (01:24):
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Lynn Jordan: Most of us have a daily commute, (01:28):
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Lynn Jordan: and we often see it as dead (01:29):
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Lynn Jordan: time. (01:31):
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Lynn Jordan: A survivor sees it as their most important training ground. (01:32):
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Lynn Jordan: This hack is all about (01:36):
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Lynn Jordan: weaponizing that commute by (01:37):
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Lynn Jordan: turning it into a detailed (01:38):
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Lynn Jordan: mental map of escape routes and (01:40):
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Lynn Jordan: opportunities. (01:42):
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Lynn Jordan: Our total reliance on GPS is a massive weakness. (01:43):
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Lynn Jordan: When the power is out and the cell towers are down. (01:47):
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Lynn Jordan: That little blue dot on your phone is gone. (01:50):
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Lynn Jordan: You need a high res map of your city burned into your brain. (01:52):
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Lynn Jordan: And I need more than just the main streets. (01:56):
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Lynn Jordan: This is about active, conscious navigation every single day. (01:59):
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Lynn Jordan: Here's your homework. (02:03):
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Lynn Jordan: Starting tomorrow, take a different route to work. (02:04):
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Lynn Jordan: Then take another way home. (02:07):
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Lynn Jordan: And on these travels, you're not (02:09):
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Lynn Jordan: just zoned out, you're taking (02:10):
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Lynn Jordan: mental snapshots. (02:12):
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Lynn Jordan: Where are the back alleys? (02:14):
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Lynn Jordan: Where are the public buildings (02:16):
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Lynn Jordan: that could offer temporary (02:17):
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Lynn Jordan: shelter like a school or (02:18):
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Lynn Jordan: library? (02:19):
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Lynn Jordan: And most importantly, where are (02:21):
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Lynn Jordan: the choke points, the bridges, (02:23):
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Lynn Jordan: the tunnels and overpasses that (02:25):
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Lynn Jordan: will become parking lots in a (02:27):
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Lynn Jordan: crisis? (02:28):
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Lynn Jordan: You need to know at least three to five ways to get from any (02:29):
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Lynn Jordan: point A to point B in your city on foot, if necessary. (02:32):
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Lynn Jordan: When you get home, take five (02:37):
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Lynn Jordan: minutes and try to sketch the (02:38):
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Lynn Jordan: route you took marking those key (02:40):
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Lynn Jordan: spots. (02:42):
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Lynn Jordan: This trains your brain to see (02:43):
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Lynn Jordan: and remember navigational (02:44):
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Lynn Jordan: details. (02:46):
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Lynn Jordan: That mental map is your tactical advantage. (02:47):
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Lynn Jordan: While everyone else is stuck in (02:50):
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Lynn Jordan: a panicked herd on the main (02:51):
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Lynn Jordan: roads. (02:52):
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Lynn Jordan: You'll be moving through the city like water, using alleys (02:53):
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Lynn Jordan: and service roads you found and memorized months or years before (02:56):
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Lynn Jordan: things ever went bad. (02:59):
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Lynn Jordan: You're not just learning your city. (03:01):
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Lynn Jordan: You're learning how to flow through its veins when its (03:03):
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Lynn Jordan: arteries are clogged. (03:05):
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Lynn Jordan: Hack number two is the urban scavengers mindset. (03:07):
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Lynn Jordan: Hack number two is all about a shift in how you see the world. (03:11):
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Lynn Jordan: It's learning to see the city not as a concrete wasteland, but (03:14):
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Lynn Jordan: as a giant, disorganized, but incredibly rich supply depot. (03:18):
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Lynn Jordan: This is the urban scavengers mindset. (03:23):
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Lynn Jordan: An average person sees trash. (03:25):
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Lynn Jordan: A survivor sees tools, weapons, (03:27):
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Lynn Jordan: and resources in a long term (03:29):
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Lynn Jordan: disaster. (03:32):
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Lynn Jordan: The stuff we buy will be gone in days. (03:33):
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Lynn Jordan: The real key to survival is going to be improvisation. (03:35):
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Lynn Jordan: You need to train your brain to (03:39):
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Lynn Jordan: constantly ask, what else can (03:40):
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Lynn Jordan: this be? (03:42):
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Lynn Jordan: That discarded Sunday newspaper. (03:44):
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Lynn Jordan: Don't just see trash rolled up tight and taped. (03:46):
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Lynn Jordan: It becomes a dense baton for type of self-defense. (03:49):
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Lynn Jordan: A bandanna and a rock can become a sling. (03:52):
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Lynn Jordan: A simple wire hanger can be straightened and used for a (03:54):
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Lynn Jordan: dozen different tasks, from a makeshift tool to a hook. (03:57):
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Lynn Jordan: This mindset applies to everything. (04:01):
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Lynn Jordan: Abandoned buildings aren't just (04:03):
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Lynn Jordan: empty shells, they're vertical (04:04):
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Lynn Jordan: supply caches. (04:06):
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Lynn Jordan: They've got wiring for cordage, spots that may still hold water, (04:07):
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Lynn Jordan: and furniture you can use for fuel or to barricade a door. (04:11):
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Lynn Jordan: Even dumpsters behind restaurants long rows could be a (04:14):
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Lynn Jordan: source of food in the first few days of a crisis. (04:18):
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Lynn Jordan: The skill here isn't just about (04:21):
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Lynn Jordan: picking up junk, it's about (04:23):
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Lynn Jordan: understanding materials and new (04:25):
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Lynn Jordan: properties. (04:26):
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Lynn Jordan: it's like engineering under pressure. (04:27):
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Lynn Jordan: Knowing some basic carpentry or (04:30):
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Lynn Jordan: simple mechanics becomes a (04:31):
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Lynn Jordan: superpower. (04:33):
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Lynn Jordan: Can you sharpen a piece of scrap metal into a blade? (04:34):
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Lynn Jordan: Can you figure out how to siphon gas from a car? (04:36):
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Lynn Jordan: Can you look at a pile of office (04:39):
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Lynn Jordan: supplies and see the parts for a (04:41):
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Lynn Jordan: tripwire alarm? (04:42):
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Lynn Jordan: Start practicing now before you (04:44):
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Lynn Jordan: throw something out, just stop (04:46):
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Lynn Jordan: and think. (04:47):
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Lynn Jordan: What else could this be? (04:48):
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Lynn Jordan: In a survival situation, this (04:50):
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Lynn Jordan: little mental exercise rewires (04:52):
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Lynn Jordan: your brain to see potential (04:54):
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Lynn Jordan: everywhere. (04:55):
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Lynn Jordan: Turning a city of waste into a city of wealth. (04:56):
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Lynn Jordan: At number three, the Silent Network. (05:00):
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Lynn Jordan: This hack tackles one of the (05:03):
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Lynn Jordan: scariest parts of an urban (05:05):
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Lynn Jordan: collapse. (05:06):
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Lynn Jordan: Losing all communication. (05:07):
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Lynn Jordan: When the grid dies. (05:09):
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Lynn Jordan: Your phone is a brick. (05:10):
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Lynn Jordan: Radios will just be a mess of static and panic. (05:11):
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Lynn Jordan: In that chaos, coordinating with your family or your support (05:14):
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Lynn Jordan: group is everything. (05:18):
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Lynn Jordan: This hack is about creating a (05:19):
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Lynn Jordan: silent, low tech communication (05:20):
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Lynn Jordan: network while everyone else is (05:22):
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Lynn Jordan: shouting. (05:25):
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Lynn Jordan: You'll be communicating in whispers. (05:25):
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Lynn Jordan: This means using pre-arranged, (05:28):
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Lynn Jordan: simple and non-electric signals (05:29):
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Lynn Jordan: that you and your group agreed (05:31):
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Lynn Jordan: on long before you ever need (05:32):
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Lynn Jordan: them. (05:34):
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Lynn Jordan: One of the best ways to do this is with subtle markers. (05:35):
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Lynn Jordan: Think of it as a secret language. (05:38):
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Lynn Jordan: A small specific chalk mark on a (05:40):
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Lynn Jordan: curb, a piece of colored cloth (05:42):
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Lynn Jordan: tied to a fence, a certain (05:44):
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Lynn Jordan: arrangements of stones on a (05:45):
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Lynn Jordan: windowsill. (05:46):
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Lynn Jordan: These can all send critical messages without making a sound. (05:47):
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Lynn Jordan: For instance, a simple X could mean this area isn't safe. (05:51):
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Lynn Jordan: The circle could mean I was here (05:55):
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Lynn Jordan: and I'm heading to our main (05:57):
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Lynn Jordan: rally point. (05:58):
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Lynn Jordan: An arrow points the way. (05:59):
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Lynn Jordan: These are easy to do and practically invisible to anyone (06:01):
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Lynn Jordan: who isn't looking for them. (06:04):
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Lynn Jordan: You also might want to consider setting up dead drops, hidden, (06:05):
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Lynn Jordan: predetermined spots where you can leave messages or small (06:09):
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Lynn Jordan: items for each other without risking a face to face meeting. (06:12):
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Lynn Jordan: And if you're moving with the (06:16):
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Lynn Jordan: group, tactical hand signals are (06:17):
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Lynn Jordan: a must. (06:19):
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Lynn Jordan: You don't need to be a Navy Seal, but knowing a few basics (06:20):
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Lynn Jordan: for stop go, danger, listen and group up here can be the (06:24):
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Lynn Jordan: difference between a coordinated team and a scattered mess. (06:29):
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Lynn Jordan: Practice them until they're instinct. (06:32):
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Lynn Jordan: This silent network keeps your group connected and organized, (06:35):
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Lynn Jordan: even in total chaos. (06:38):
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Lynn Jordan: It's a quiet advantage that speaks volumes. (06:40):
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Lynn Jordan: Hack number four the high ground fallacy. (06:44):
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Lynn Jordan: This hack challenges a core belief many people have about (06:47):
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Lynn Jordan: finding shelter in a city. (06:50):
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Lynn Jordan: I call it the high ground fallacy. (06:52):
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Lynn Jordan: The common wisdom says to get to the high ground for signaling (06:54):
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Lynn Jordan: and observation in wilderness that works in the city, it can (06:57):
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Lynn Jordan: be a death trap. (07:01):
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Lynn Jordan: This hack is about reevaluating what makes a good urban shelter. (07:03):
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Lynn Jordan: A lot of people imagine a rooftop apartment where the top (07:07):
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Lynn Jordan: floor of an office building is the perfect spot. (07:10):
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Lynn Jordan: You get a great view. (07:13):
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Lynn Jordan: It's hard to get to, and it feels safe. (07:14):
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Lynn Jordan: The problem? (07:17):
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Lynn Jordan: You've just cornered yourself (07:19):
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Lynn Jordan: with only one way out the (07:20):
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Lynn Jordan: stairs. (07:21):
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Lynn Jordan: If a fire starts below you, you're trapped. (07:22):
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Lynn Jordan: If a hostile group takes the building, they only have to (07:25):
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Lynn Jordan: control that one stairwell to control your fate. (07:27):
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Lynn Jordan: Plus, rooftops makes you a perfect silhouette or target. (07:30):
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Lynn Jordan: And you're exposed to the elements. (07:34):
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Lynn Jordan: Basements and sublevels, on the (07:37):
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Lynn Jordan: other hand, are often (07:38):
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Lynn Jordan: overlooked. (07:39):
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Lynn Jordan: They offer fantastic (07:40):
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Lynn Jordan: concealment, protection from the (07:41):
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Lynn Jordan: weather, and a more stable (07:43):
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Lynn Jordan: temperature. (07:44):
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Lynn Jordan: More importantly, they might (07:45):
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Lynn Jordan: offer less obvious ways out than (07:47):
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Lynn Jordan: maintenance tunnels, service (07:49):
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Lynn Jordan: corridors, or even adjoining (07:50):
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Lynn Jordan: basements in some commercial (07:52):
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Lynn Jordan: buildings. (07:53):
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Lynn Jordan: You trade the long distance view (07:54):
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Lynn Jordan: for better cover and more escape (07:56):
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Lynn Jordan: routes. (07:58):
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Lynn Jordan: The ideal urban shelter often (07:59):
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Lynn Jordan: isn't at the top or the very (08:01):
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Lynn Jordan: bottom. (08:02):
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Lynn Jordan: It's usually a lower to (08:03):
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Lynn Jordan: mid-level floor, like the second (08:04):
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Lynn Jordan: or third. (08:06):
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Lynn Jordan: This spot is high enough to be tough to get into from the (08:07):
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Lynn Jordan: street, but low enough that you can escape through a window if (08:10):
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Lynn Jordan: you had to. (08:13):
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Lynn Jordan: It doesn't silhouette you against the sky, and it doesn't (08:14):
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Lynn Jordan: get you stuck in the basement. (08:16):
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Lynn Jordan: It's a calculated compromise. (08:18):
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Lynn Jordan: The real skill here isn't just finding shelter. (08:21):
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Lynn Jordan: It's being able to look at any building and assess its (08:24):
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Lynn Jordan: strengths and weaknesses. (08:26):
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Lynn Jordan: How many ways? (08:28):
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Lynn Jordan: In and out. (08:29):
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Lynn Jordan: What is it made of? (08:30):
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Lynn Jordan: Can you defend it? (08:31):
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Lynn Jordan: How visible is it? (08:32):
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Lynn Jordan: Answering those questions is way more important than just racing (08:34):
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Lynn Jordan: to the top floor. (08:37):
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Lynn Jordan: Hack number five the art of strategic invisibility. (08:39):
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Lynn Jordan: And finally, this one is huge. (08:43):
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Lynn Jordan: And it's something that the experienced prepper preaches. (08:45):
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Lynn Jordan: But rookies don't practice the hack is this stop trying to look (08:48):
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Lynn Jordan: like a survivor. (08:52):
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Lynn Jordan: In fact, do the exact opposite. (08:53):
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Lynn Jordan: It's strategic invisibility, but (08:56):
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Lynn Jordan: you might know it as the Gray (08:58):
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Lynn Jordan: Man concept. (08:59):
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Lynn Jordan: Yes, I've spoken about this before, but it bears repeating. (09:01):
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Lynn Jordan: Think about it. (09:04):
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Lynn Jordan: When the grid goes down, who's (09:05):
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Lynn Jordan: the first person to become a (09:07):
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Lynn Jordan: target? (09:08):
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Lynn Jordan: It's the guy decked out in tactical gear, carrying a huge (09:09):
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Lynn Jordan: bug out bag that basically screams, I have food, water, and (09:12):
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Lynn Jordan: good stuff to steal. (09:15):
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Lynn Jordan: He might as well be wearing a (09:17):
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Lynn Jordan: neon sign that says Rob me (09:18):
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Lynn Jordan: first. (09:20):
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Lynn Jordan: All that camo and military gear makes you a sore thumb in the (09:21):
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Lynn Jordan: city, and standing out is the last thing you want. (09:24):
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Lynn Jordan: The true urban survivor knows (09:27):
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Lynn Jordan: the best weapon is being (09:29):
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Lynn Jordan: completely and utterly (09:30):
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Lynn Jordan: forgettable. (09:31):
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Lynn Jordan: It's about blending in. (09:32):
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Lynn Jordan: You want to look just like everyone else. (09:33):
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Lynn Jordan: A little confused, a little (09:36):
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Lynn Jordan: scared, but totally (09:37):
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Lynn Jordan: unremarkable. (09:38):
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Lynn Jordan: Your goal is to be the person nobody looks at twice. (09:39):
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Lynn Jordan: You just become background noise. (09:42):
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Lynn Jordan: This isn't about being weak. (09:45):
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Lynn Jordan: It's about being smart. (09:46):
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Lynn Jordan: While the tactical prepper is drawing all the wrong kinds of (09:48):
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Lynn Jordan: attention, the gray woman is moving unnoticed, observing and (09:51):
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Lynn Jordan: getting to safety. (09:55):
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Lynn Jordan: She's sizing up threats and spotting opportunities without (09:57):
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Lynn Jordan: anyone even knowing she's a player in the game. (10:00):
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Lynn Jordan: This takes a state of relaxed awareness. (10:03):
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Lynn Jordan: You're watching everything how people are moving, potential (10:05):
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Lynn Jordan: roadblocks, weird behavior, all while looking like you're just (10:08):
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Lynn Jordan: trying to get home. (10:11):
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Lynn Jordan: Practice this on your way to work. (10:13):
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Lynn Jordan: Make it a mental game. (10:15):
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Lynn Jordan: How can you walk through a crowd (10:17):
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Lynn Jordan: without anyone really noticing (10:18):
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Lynn Jordan: you? (10:19):
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Lynn Jordan: Master this and you've just taken yourself off the top of (10:20):
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Lynn Jordan: most predator lists. (10:23):
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Lynn Jordan: So there you go. (10:25):
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Lynn Jordan: Five urban survival hacks that (10:27):
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Lynn Jordan: flip the common wisdom on its (10:28):
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Lynn Jordan: head. (10:30):
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Lynn Jordan: Turn your commute into a tactical map. (10:31):
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Lynn Jordan: See the city as an armory. (10:33):
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Lynn Jordan: Build a silent network. (10:35):
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Lynn Jordan: Rethink what safe shelter really means. (10:36):
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Lynn Jordan: And lastly, stop looking like a soldier and become invisible. (10:39):
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Lynn Jordan: The biggest takeaway is this urban survival isn't about (10:44):
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Lynn Jordan: having the coolest gear. (10:47):
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Lynn Jordan: It's about your mindset. (10:49):
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Lynn Jordan: It's about seeing the world (10:50):
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Lynn Jordan: differently, anticipating (10:51):
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Lynn Jordan: threats no one else sees, and (10:53):
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Lynn Jordan: using the city itself as your (10:55):
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Lynn Jordan: greatest tool. (10:56):
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Lynn Jordan: The time to build that mindset (10:58):
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Lynn Jordan: is now not when the lights go (10:59):
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Lynn Jordan: out. (11:01):
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Lynn Jordan: So what do you think? (11:03):
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Lynn Jordan: Are there any other (11:04):
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Lynn Jordan: counterintuitive survival hacks (11:05):
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Lynn Jordan: I missed? (11:07):
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Lynn Jordan: Drop them in the comments below! (11:08):
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Lynn Jordan: I read all of them, and your knowledge might just help (11:09):
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Lynn Jordan: someone else in this community. (11:12):
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Lynn Jordan: And if you got some value out of this, do me a solid and hit that (11:14):
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Lynn Jordan: like and subscribe for more content that gets you ready for (11:17):
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Lynn Jordan: the real world. (11:20):
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Lynn Jordan: Thanks for listening and stay safe out there. (11:21):
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Lynn Jordan: Until next time, this is the urban lady prepper signing off. (11:24):
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