Paraguay's president resigns as a bank failure cuts 3 million people off from their accounts

An early start at the lake. A quiet campsite. One more hour waiting for the perfect light. The things you love can take you beyond cell coverage. 

With the ZOLEO Satellite Communicator, you can send an “I’m OK” check-in message, share your location, and message loved ones through its companion app. Enjoy the moment, and give the people who care about you a way to be part of it. 

Save 20% on a regularly priced ZOLEO Satellite Communicator with code KEEPINTOUCH20.

Claim my 20% off

Not valid on sale-priced devices or with other discounts. Valid outside promotional sale periods.

The Ready Brief #245

Practical preparedness for uncertain times

Two stories this week involve people losing access to something they assumed would always work: bank accounts in Paraguay, and normal daily movement during strikes in France. The practical piece applies the same idea to navigation. If your phone is your only map, a dead battery or lost signal leaves you without one.

The Importance of Physical Maps

GPS has made navigation effortless. It's also made us dependent on a system that requires satellites, cell towers, charged batteries, and functioning software. Remove any one of those, and most people can't navigate beyond their daily commute.

Physical maps don't need batteries. They don't need signal. They don't crash, lose connection, or route you through a road that doesn't exist anymore. They're the backup navigation system that works when everything electronic fails.

Start with understanding what you're looking at. A standard road map or atlas shows highways, secondary roads, towns, and geographic features. The legend explains symbols. The scale tells you distance. Major highways are marked with thick lines and route numbers. Secondary roads are thinner. Contour lines on topographic maps show elevation, with closely spaced lines indicating steep terrain.

For emergency preparedness, you need three types of maps. First, a state or regional road atlas that covers your likely travel area. The Rand McNally Road Atlas is updated annually and covers the entire US at a detail level sufficient for highway navigation. Keep one in each vehicle.

Second, detailed local maps of your immediate area. These should include residential streets, evacuation routes, and alternate paths to key destinations: work, school, family homes, hospitals, and your evacuation rally point. Print these from Google Maps or CalTopo while you have internet access. Mark your planned routes with a highlighter.

Third, a topographic map of your area for situations where you might need to navigate off-road or on foot. USGS TopoView provides free downloadable topographic maps for the entire US. These show terrain, water features, trails, and structures that road maps omit.

Practice using physical maps before you need them. Pick a destination you normally GPS to, pull up the paper map, and plan the route. Then drive it. Notice how different it feels to navigate by landmarks and road signs instead of a voice telling you where to turn. The first time is awkward. The third time is natural.

Orientation is the first skill to develop. A paper map needs to be oriented to match the terrain. The simplest method: identify two known landmarks (a road intersection, a mountain, a water tower) and rotate the map until those landmarks align with their real-world positions. Now your map matches reality.

A basic compass paired with a map dramatically improves your navigation capability. A quality baseplate compass costs $10 to $30 and requires about 30 minutes of learning to use effectively. The fundamental technique is simple: orient the map to north using the compass, identify your position, identify your destination, and follow the bearing. Entire books are written about land navigation, but these basics cover most scenarios.

Mark your maps in advance. Highlight evacuation routes. Circle key locations. Note distances between landmarks. Draw alternate routes in case primary roads are blocked. A pre-marked map is a decision-support tool. An unmarked map is just a reference.

Store your maps in a waterproof bag or map case. A soaked, illegible map is no more useful than a dead phone. Ziplock bags work. Dedicated map cases from outdoor retailers are more durable.

The goal isn't to become a cartography expert. It's to ensure that if your phone dies, your GPS fails, or you're in an unfamiliar area without signal, you can still find your way.

Download offline maps for your region.

Open Google Maps on your phone. Tap your profile, then "Offline maps," then "Select your own map." Draw a rectangle around your state or region and download it. Now your phone navigates without cell signal. It still needs battery, but it's one layer of redundancy. Then go buy an atlas for your car.

France: nationwide strikes and weeks of street protests.

French unions held a day of nationwide strikes on November 5, with hundreds of thousands expected to march, according to AP and Al Jazeera. AsiaOne reported the marches were largely peaceful. Earlier unrest was heavier. The French Interior Ministry said Saturday, October 31 protests brought 779 arrests, 159 injured security officers, 515 fires put out, 36 damaged shops and three looting incidents, with about 320,000 participants (Ghana News Agency, citing dpa). Zero Hedge has covered the wider run of protests since mid-October; read it as commentary and check figures against the reports linked here.

Why it matters to you: strikes and street closures disrupt trains, fuel and deliveries on short notice. If you travel in France, check carrier notices daily and carry a paper map and some cash. The next thing to watch is whether unions announce more strike days.

Sources: AP via KSAT, Al Jazeera, AsiaOne, Ghana News Agency, Zero Hedge

Björn Kjellström wrote Be Expert with Map and Compass, published by Wiley and a standard reference for learning the two tools together. We have not tested it, so treat this as a pointer to a well-known text, not a review.

The takeaway: GPS is a tool. Map reading is a skill. Practice with the map flat on a table, then outside in a place you already know, so the first real use is not also the first try.

Paraguay's president resigned after a bank failure left about 3 million people without access to their accounts.

President Santiago Peña announced his resignation on November 5, Reuters reported, following the failure of Ueno bank. Euronews put the number of people cut off from banking at about 3 million. Accounts differ on what happens next. Reuters and Euronews report the vice president is due to be sworn in, while Al Jazeera reports Congress did not accept the resignation after a walkout broke the quorum. The final status was unclear at the time of writing.

Why it matters to you: a bank can fail anywhere, and the first thing people lose is access, not necessarily money. Keep a few days of cash at home in small bills, and keep one account at a second institution. In the US, FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category.

Sources: Reuters via Star-Advertiser, Al Jazeera, Euronews, FDIC

Suunto A-10 Baseplate Compass

A liquid-filled baseplate compass with a clear plate and map scales. It is a common choice for beginners because it is simple. We have not tested this one, and stock and price vary by seller, so check the listing before you order.

Expect to pay about $24 to $28. At that price, one for the go-bag and one for the car kit is reasonable.

Atlas to pair with it: the Rand McNally 2027 Road Atlas, listed at $24.99.

Suunto A-10 on Amazon

Overrated: Expensive GPS handhelds as your primary navigation tool. They're excellent devices, but they add another battery-dependent point of failure. Learn paper map skills first, then add GPS as a complement.

Underrated: a current paper road atlas. It runs about $25, covers the whole US, and works with no battery or signal. Keep one in every vehicle.

Next issue: building a rocket stove, an efficient way to cook with small amounts of fuel.

Know someone who'd find this useful? Forward this email, or share your referral link below.

Quick poll: how prepared do you feel after reading this issue?

Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no cost to you.

PS: The low-cost version of this issue: a road atlas and a compass for about $50 combined, plus offline maps on your phone. That covers navigation without a battery.