It’s one thing to observe your own fight or flight response in the face of an emergency. But in Adrienne So’s captivating feature in WIRED, readers get to follow the author as she trains for and rehearses a bold and strenuous challenge in preparation for disaster: specifically competing in the Disaster Relief Trials, a 30-mile bike race meant to simulate the chaotic post-“Big One” conditions in Portland, Oregon.
It may sound like a stressful read—there’s clearing rubble, hauling shipping pallets through pouring rain, and hoisting 40-pound buckets of water onto Popsicle, the author’s bright yellow electric cargo bike. But don’t let that concern keep you from relishing So’s narration, bursting with humor and contagious enthusiasm—and only a gentle nudge to confront whatever impending doom you may be avoiding.
We were such fans we asked So to share some of the inspiration and research that went into the feature.
“Like most people on the West Coast, earthquake prep has been at the back of my mind for years. But the more gear I collected, the more I realized that the best emergency gear was each other,” she explains.
Read on for more on the stories that helped power her piece, inspiring a reading list on mutual aid, bike culture, and the upside of Facebook groups.
Photograph by Gritchelle Fallesgon
Excerpt: ‘A Paradise Built in Hell’
AS: “Post-apocalyptic scenarios often posit a hellish dog-eat-dog world, but this is one of the most uplifting and optimistic books about disaster that I’ve ever read. Rebecca Solnit examines major disasters—the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, the 1917 Halifax explosion, the 1985 Mexico earthquake, 9/11, and New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina—and overwhelmingly concludes that the vast majority of people find deep and fulfilling joy in helping each other. The excerpt gives you a sense of this, but I highly recommend buying the book as well.”
The Baby Formula Shortage and the Rise of Rational Disaster Preppers
AS: “As a parent, the ongoing baby formula shortage during the pandemic was horrifying. But in my own community, I saw people step up to help each other, notifying each other on Facebook groups when formula was in stock at certain stores and offering sample formula packages online if they were nursing. Leftists preppers like Luis Rodriguez conceive of preparedness as being practical, communal, and pro-social, with a special focus on vulnerable communities.”
Adrienne So
Adrienne So is an editor and writer in WIRED’s Gadget Lab. She writes mainly about fitness, parenting, and the smart home.