Ready or not

Conejo Valley survivalists won’t be caught unprepared in an emergency



FULLY STOCKED—Newbury Park residents Bridget Dougherty and Steve Snow (and their German shepherd Ciara) and Thousand Oaks resident Justin Rovnac display their “bug out” gear in the backyard of Snow’s home. Rovnac is trying to form a club dedicated to sharing and learning survival skills.

FULLY STOCKED—Newbury Park residents Bridget Dougherty and Steve Snow (and their German shepherd Ciara) and Thousand Oaks resident Justin Rovnac display their “bug out” gear in the backyard of Snow’s home. Rovnac is trying to form a club dedicated to sharing and learning survival skills.

By most standards, Justin Rovnac and Steve Snow have achieved comfortable lifestyles. Stable work, families, a few dogs and homes in Ventura County.

But both men are preparing for several frightening “what if” scenarios.

Unlike the “preppers” profiled in National Geographic Channel’s new series “Doomsday Preppers,” the two do not live in fear of government overthrow or nuclear warfare. But if a catastrophic earthquake hits, they will have water, food and the skills to stay alive if first responders don’t come to their rescue.

“That’s why I do all of this, to protect my girls,” said Snow, 55, a husband and stepfather. “It’s all about the family and how I can ensure their safety.”

Shared knowledge

Rather than “ preppers,” Rovnac and Snow prefer to call themselves survivalists—selfreliant individuals who wish to share their expertise and gain knowledge from others like them.

Two months ago, Rovnac created a website in hopes of attracting members to form what he calls a self-reliance preparedness group. Hours later, Snow signed up.

Just formed, the group does not have a regular meeting time or set group of members, at least not yet. But they hope to find members interested in learning about survival, not doomsday.

“ We are not a doomsday preppers group,” Rovnac said. “(We’re) not crazy wackadoodles with 10 years’ worth of food hidden in the basement. (Our group) is about knowing how to take care of yourself and be selfreliant.”

The 38-year-old former U.S. Marine, who was in a military weapons platoon while in the service, knows a little bit about both.

Before joining the military, he grew up in Woodland Hills and explored the outdoors in Westlake Village, where his family kept horses.

“I used to disappear into the mountains and build things out of sticks in the wilderness,” said Rovnac, who now lives in Thousand Oaks.

The goal of the group is to prepare individuals for cataclysmic events that could possibly cut them off from the rest of society or put them in situations where an unprepared society is the threat.

“Before the Industrial Revolution, people had many more skills than we do now. We’re (completely) reliant (on help from others),” said Rovnac, a personal trainer by trade. “I just want to make sure I can take care of myself and my family, no matter what happens.”

Never short on supplies

For Snow, a Newbury Park resident and wildlife enthusiast, survival and wilderness skills are innate.

“I’ve been in the wilderness since I was a fetus,” he laughed. “My dad was an L. A. County fireman, and I grew up camping in the Sierras.”

Snow and his wife, Bridget Dougherty, have more than five survival packs at home. The packs, also known as “bug out bags,” contain enough supplies to last at least 72 hours in the wilderness.

They even have a bag for their dogs, Jessie and Ciara, filled with water, food, medicine and, of course, dog biscuits.

Other packs, like their “standard urban three-day,” the bag Snow said he never wants to use, are filled with tools like wire cutters and devices to shut off the water or gas at their home.

“If I ever have to use that bag, it means the worst has happened,” he said. “That bag is a safety precaution, but I don’t expect to use it.”

The couple updates the gear and change out the medicine in each bag on a regular basis. They admit it can get costly.

Snow said his gear is worth more $2,000, but preparation can be done on a budget, he said.

“I had most of this stuff already because of my interest in the outdoors,” Snow said. “But you can go to the dollar store and create a bag pretty cheap. It would be a difference of quality, but it’s better to have something than nothing.”

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2010, Dougherty, a former nurse, is now unable to work. But as a member of Rovnac’s new self-reliance group, she said, she has the opportunity to share her medical skills.

“If a wound goes untreated in the wilderness, it will get infected and you could die,” the former Los Robles Hospital employee said. “If I can use my knowledge to teach others how to treat wounds and what medicines to have ready, that’s great.”

Christy Bronson, Dougherty’s daughter, received emergency preparedness training early on from her parents. But an incident that occurred last year really piqued her interest in survival skills.

“I never took (my mom and Steve) too seriously,” Bronson said. “But my car broke down and that’s when I realized things really can happen—especially being alone and a girl.”

Her new mentality?

“A lot of people think it’s crazy to prepare for earthquakes or have the bug out bags,” she said. “Well, then why do they get (life) insurance? Just in case.”

Bronson, 23, and her boyfriend, Brandon, plan to attend future group meetings and are most interested in basic survival skills to use while hiking.

“No one thinks that something bad can happen when you go hiking. But it could,” Bronson said. “I was stuck in my own little world, thinking that I could call a hotline for help. But batteries die, and hotlines won’t be helpful if the phones don’t work.”

In mid-January, Rovnac plans to put members and their bug out bags to the test.

“Most packs are too heavy and people need to understand that,” he said. “They need to have a more practical mentality. The bag is just your tool kit; it all comes down to what you know.”

For more on meetings or joining the group, visit www.theselfreliancegroup.com or email blackcrowkt@gmail.com.


 

 

WELL PREPARED—Steve Snow unloads his 72-hour bug-out bag to display its contents, which include walkie-talkies, first-aid gear, MREs (meals ready to eat) and other survival supplies.

WELL PREPARED—Steve Snow unloads his 72-hour bug-out bag to display its contents, which include walkie-talkies, first-aid gear, MREs (meals ready to eat) and other survival supplies.

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