• Personal emergencies - I remember getting the call early one morning. My grandfather, who was battling stage 4 cancer for a number of months, was being
rushed to the hospital, and the chances of him improving enough to go home were extremely small. In fact, according to the family member who called me, it
appeared this would be the last trip, and I needed to get there soon if I was to see him alive one last time. My biggest obstacle was the 8 hour drive from New Mexico to Colorado, and the last thing I needed was the added time it would take to pack for the ride. I hung up the phone, grabbed my bug out bag and headed out.
• Disaster, natural or otherwise - A little over a year prior to this writing, a construction project in a residential neighborhood right here in my hometown led to a natural gas explosion. Fortunately, there were no major injuries, and the main devastation was limited to the destruction of just one house. Nonetheless, the surrounding homes for quite a few blocks were evacuated for safety, until it could be determined that the situation was safe enough for folks to return to their homes. This meant hundreds of families were forced to be away from home for up to a week, and some for longer.
• 2012 and 2013 were rough years for eastern Colorado. During that time,
thousands of people were affected by a series of devastating forest fires, followed
by some of the worst flooding to hit the region. As a result, thousands of people
were displaced, with many of those losing everything but the shirts on their
backs. In situations like this,, having a grab and go bag ready would greatly
reduce the headaches that come with starting over.
• In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and points across Louisiana.
According to survivors, some areas went 6 days without any kind of government
response. On top of the storm itself, residents were left to their own devices in
order to survive for up to and in some cases, more than a week. Even after help
arrived, survivors were left without major services such as running water and
fresh food for months after.
Being prepared for any given emergency or unforeseen disaster is just plain smart. The
biggest problem is that many people don’t know where to start or how to begin preparing.
I hope this guide will answer the questions you have, and spur you into taking the steps
you need to take to make sure you and your family remain safe and secure in the face of
disaster.
What Is a "Bug Out Bag"?
Anytime I mention having a "Bug Out Bag" to someone less informed, the reaction is usually the same: "Oh, you mean in case of the Zombie Apocalypse?" The truth is, there are many different types, styles and sizes of the "BOB".
The "GOOD" Bag
"GOOD", or "Get Out Of Dodge" - this type can be for survival purposes and contain all the essential survival basics, or it can be just what it says - Get out of Dodge type stuff (munchies, extra change(s) of clothes, etc.) that would normally be used for a quick weekend/day trip for general relaxation. In my experience, the GOOD Bag comes in handy when you know where you are headed and do not expect too many inconveniences along the way. This is best used in situations where you will only be gone a day or two, and will usually have hotel or other such plans for accommodations while you are gone.
The "Hospital Go Bag"
Pregnant women across America have used a form of the BOB for many years: The Hospital Go Bag. This bag contains the items that mom and baby are likely to need during the hospital stay, as well as items that will be necessary/useful when bringing baby home. Some items might include an extra change of comfy clothes for mom, as well as bottles, formula and supplies, etc.
The "Every Day Carry" (EDC) Bag
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| The author's "EDC" - a handmade, black leather pouch worn on the belt. |
The EDC is a smaller pack, usually belt carried, and contains only essential items for survival in the worst of conditions. This is also known as a "Get Home" Bag, and is a temporary solution until you can get home to your bigger, well stocked bag. Items included in the EDC are things like waterproof matches, pocket knife, a couple band aids/bandages, aspirin and perhaps some fishing items such as hooks, line and sinkers. The EDC I carry also includes an emergency blanket for shelter purposes.
The Genuine "Bug Out/Survival" Bag
This one is for the Zombie Apocalypse, or any other natural or man-made disaster or emergency. The true BOB will usually contain enough supplies, including some camp style dehydrated food, water purification, multiple forms of shelter and fire creation and other items you could expect to use during a bug out scenario lasting 3 or more days. It generally will also contain things that will assist you in maintaining survival for extended periods, such as shelter building tools, ammunition, and potential trading items (a little silver, gold, tobacco, etc.).
Things To Consider When Building Your Bug Out Bag
Attitude
As mentioned previously, having a BOB on hand gives the survivor peace of mind. In
any emergency, the adrenaline gets pumping, judgment gets clouded and spur of the
moment decisions are usually the norm. Knowing that you have your bases covered
ahead of time give you the confidence to know that whatever is thrown at you, chances
are that you will be prepared to deal with them properly. The best part of having a BOB is knowing that you are ready and able to immediately respond to a number of disasters or emergencies, and that will go a long way in helping you maintain a positive attitude even in the darkest of situations.
Budget
Let's face it: in today's economy, it's hard enough for most of us to survive daily life, much less prepare for a major disaster or emergency. Some of us will need to consider our budget when building our BOB's. This is no reason to not build a bag. In the coming articles, you'll see how easy it is to spend a few dollars every payday, and still come up with quite the complete bug out bag. To begin with, building a better bug out bag can be done on as little as $10 a payday. Keep reading to find out how.
Personal Needs
Bug out bags are NOT one-size-fits-all. There are basics that every BOB will need, however, you want to make sure that you are carrying things that YOU need as well. Some things to keep in mind are medical, dietary and regional/geographic considerations (you probably won't carry snow shoes with your BOB if you plan on bugging out into the desert). Other things to keep in mind include addictions. If you are a smoker, access to cigarettes will become a major issue in the event of a complete "SHTF" scenario. Having a stash of tobacco and papers would be a major relief to many. Even if you don't smoke, having some on hand could come in handy for trading for food or other items you may need.
Be Redundant
Being ready for a bug out situation means having multiple forms of your preparations. This includes keeping some basics in your home and vehicles as well. Indeed, redundancy should also translate to each of your bags or packs - have multiple forms of fire starting, shelter and other basics.
NEXT UPDATE: BUG OUT BAG ESSENTIALS - BASIC ITEMS TO INCLUDE IN EVERY BOB - Stay tuned!
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