The other day I was purging items around the house and was also starting to organize my home for an upcoming move. This “cleanse” got me to thinking about just how much stuff we have lying around the house that we forget about. I’m personally a very tidy person, but even I found that I had multiples of the same items, from personal hygiene products to clothes and household items. My fall purge also got me planning the various stages of my move and because my mind tends to drift, I started thinking what a pain it would be if I had to gather items from around the house in a mad dash because of an emergency. Then the reality of how unprepared I was dawned on me.
Let’s face it, we’ve all been exposed to images, movies and stories of the “end of the world as we know it” watching Armageddon unfold in an array of high tech movie stunts and special effects – but there are very practical considerations to being prepared for the unimaginable or the unexpected. Recent weather events in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean as well as less known flooding in northern cities like Montreal and rural towns along the St. Lawrence River in Canada are definitely “close to home” examples of how the unimaginable hit the lives of everyday people in the worst way possible. I’m not a camping person, I have never gone “glamping” but I am a realist. What I realized during my fall purge is that taking a little time to be prepared for something you hope doesn’t happen, could save your life – it’s actually quite an eye-opening experience when you discover how many items you wouldn’t know to grab and how many items you just didn’t have if you had to scramble to leave your home in a rush.
Research shows that emergency weather or disaster situations, the first 72 hours are the most critical. If you can get through that first 72 hours, you significantly increase your chances of being ok. Of course, you must be prepared and that’s where the "bug-out bag" comes in. The primary purpose of a bug-out bag is to allow you to evacuate quickly during an emergency. It’s important to gather into a single place everything you will need for at least 72 hours – and many of these items are already lying around your house. Geography may dictate some of it’s contents, as someone evacuating hurricane-prone areas may have different supplies compared to someone who lives in one prone to blizzards, earthquakes, or wildfires.
Some survivalists also recommend keeping a "get-me-home" kit in the car and/or at work. This is a kit to enable a person to get back home from work during an emergency where all transport cars and public transport have broken down – and after living through the east coast blackout in 2003 where I had to walk 30 miles to get home, this kit would have been a god send. There's a lot of information out there and some pretty entertaining movies and documentaries, this is a movie I really like called Bushwick. So, what's in my bug-out-bag? Below is my list including links to some of the items I included in my bag.
After my own research on this topic, I learned that building redundancies into your inventory is a great idea because it will allow you to have the flexibility to help others or trade for things you don't have. All in, I spent approximately $400 and when you factor in the supplies I already had on hand, the total might run you upwards into the $600 range. But if you consider what's in it for you - it's a wise investment.
Food and Water
• Water (in car)
• Food rations, power bars, freeze dried camping food, Pop Tarts and candy :)
• Water filtration straws (2) - critical if don't have clean drinking water
• Water purification tablets (100 tabs) - for personal hygiene
• Empty water bottles (2) - I'm using plastic coke bottles
• Stainless steel water bottle
• Eating utensils - I opted for the dollar store regular models (2 forks, 2 spoons)
• Small propane cooker and propane tank
• Portable cooking pot, steel cup
• Dog food - your pets will need the same food they have at home
• Dog bowl (2) - dual purpose for food and drink
• Heirloom seeds - long term essential in case things get really bad
Communication and Navigation
• Crank emergency radio, built in solar charger and light
• Portable shortwave radio - the sound from this little radio is amazing
• Crank flashlight (small and large)
• Survival whistle - built into my shovel tool and my para-cord bracelets
• Laminated provincial or state map - for when GPS goes down
• Signal and hygiene mirror - the dollar store variety will do
• Cell phone charging cables - grab the spares that you complain about
First Aid and Staying Healthy
• Tourniquet
• Bandages
• Rubbing alcohol, peroxide, polysporine
• Gauze, silicone bandages, medical tape
• Bug repellent, sunscreen
• Hygiene kit: wet naps, soap, shampoo, toothpaste/brush, TP
• Full size scissors
• Epi-Pen (2)
• Benadryl, Tylenol, Cremes, Antacid, Immodiumm, Eye Drops
Shelter and Environmental Protection
• Matches, Torch Lighters (4), Candles (4), Cotton Balls Dipped in Vaseline
• Emergency blanket and sleeping bag
• Thin raincoat
• Tarps (2-4)
• Pop-up tent (in car)
• Spare clothes, underwear, socks, shoes and boots (in car)
• Ground steaks to secure pets outdoors
• 2-3 Buckets (in car)
Miscellaneous
• Multi-tool, jackknife
• Fixed blade knife
• Para-cord bracelets (with built in whistle and fire starter) (4)
• Duct tape (2)
• Zip ties, zip-lock bags, snap-shut plastic containers
• Water tight plastic jars for storage of items
• Garbage bags (5)
• Pocket survival guide Urban / Suburban Survival Gear
• Work gloves, wire mesh gloves
• N95 vs. N100 Masks - the N100 is my choice
• Eye protection and spare reading glasses Wilderness Survival Gear
• Fishing kit
• Rope (3)
• Twine
• Shovel/Axe/Knife/Pitchfork Multi-tool Self-Defense
• Bear spray Personal Items and Reminders
• Cash - small bills for things like gas etc.
• Notepad, pen, black and red markers
• Identification (photocopies)
• Contact information of friends and family - written in your notebook
• Prescription medication (new and old)
• Interesting book, playing cards, downloaded movies
