Ask Slashdot: How To Back Up Physical Data?

An anonymous reader writes "After many years I now have a backup of all my digital data in (at least) two physical locations. But what do people recommend to back up my physical data? And then how to prove my identity? I call it the 'gas leak problem,' because a gas leak in my town caused an explosion that leveled a house. If it had been my house, it would have destroyed all my paperwork that proves who I am. If I'd come home from work and found my house was now a pile of rubble, how would I prove I lived there, knowing my key no longer fits the smoldering lock? If I'd left my wallet at home, my bank cards would have been destroyed so I couldn't withdraw money or book into a hotel. Or if I'd left my phone at the office, I wouldn't know anyone's number to call, or get anyone to vouch for me. What preventative steps can you take? Since having this nightmare, I've exported my phone's VCF file to an online repo, made online notes of all my bank account numbers and passport ID, I keep ICE numbers with me at all times (separate from phone/wallet), and I've hidden a spare mobile phone and house key in a box in a nearby field. But there must be more to do!"

Comments

Re:Overly Paranoid

[gl4ss]

this is so fucking lol thread. 3rd world of 'murica.

seriously, somehow people from other countries - seemingly even those from the 3rd world countries - are not worried about their government not being able or willing to identify them. it might end up costing 80 beers worth of money but fuck, never ever in western country it's a really big problem if someone fucks up your id papers. you think it's really that easy to erase some motherfucker, simply by burning their papers ?

and the really big lol is that usa spends the most amount of money on identifying people(maybe get a criminal record? that'll show them who you are haha).

birth certificate? fuck I've never even seen mine, I suppose I have one though but I really doubt such paper had any value beyond first year of my life(if even that, since I've had a social security id number since birth and when my parents applied for kid benefits from the government the government checked from their system that I do indeed exist). a system that relies on such antiquated papers is just ripe for living under faked birth certificates and shit.

if your house burns down and your passport along with it just go to whichever authority issues those. if the firemen cant lend a phone for you to call your insurance company and ask them where to sleep and if you don't have such insurance ask the firemen where the social services is, if the firemen can't tell you then vote for a more socialist state at the next elections where people don't fall off the net unless they do it by very deliberate choice(usually those folks are labeled people with mental problems).

but really relying on a piece of paper saying that someone was born 30 years ago as any sort of identification? wtf, what's next, using utility bills to prove that you're renting a house?