What is in Your Bug-Out Bag?

Posted by $ MikeMarotta 9 years, 11 months ago to Technology
3 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

My wife and I have had freeze-dried food and other stockpiles since shortly after we were married over 35 years ago. However, one night, when learning to fly, I met my flight instructor at a little airport in Nowheresville, Ohio, and the place was locked up and our plane was still in the hangar. We went home, but I realized that this could be a problem. So, I changed my flight bag to a bug-out bag. Yes, it still had the local air charts, flight computer, and such, but also a Brita, playing cards, fire starters, radio, cash, gold coins, ... you get the picture...

I am now on a contract for my state police writing contracts for emergency preparedness deliverables. So, I have been giving this a lot more thought and searching for more resources for the "average" citizen. (Truth to tell, the "average" citizen is woefully unprepared, but we plan for that.)

Bug out bag:
http://www.dailypreparedness.com/2011/04...

Would you sacrifice a family member to save the family? Most people are unprepared for that. Theoretically, fans of "Atlas Shrugged" have explored Objectivist philosophy; and they are fully conscious of the rational standards for survival as "man qua man." For instance, most people generally place a lot of value on children. Ayn Rand was not alone in believing that children are replaceable; and your spouse should have already been the most important person in your life.

Exploring several "survivalist" blogs such as the one above, I noted that many do recommend having cash on hand, including coins for vending machines and pay phones. I have not found any that recommend a range of gold and silver coins. A one-ounce gold coin can be way more than you need to buy a bottle of water. I have a couple of rolls of silver dimes. I also have large coppers, big British Pennies, old Mexican 20 and 50 centavo coppers, that sort of thing.

I did find one patriotic sight that addressed "survival bargaining." It is important, but like all skills, really, it is something you either practice or you do not. Either you are a commercial person or you are not. If you are not adept at greeting strangers, making friends, and making other people feel important, then a United Nations occupation of your neighborhood will be a bit late to learn to get along with others. For that, I can only recommend the Ferengi of Star Trek, the best of them being Nog. See here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708654/


Add Comment

FORMATTING HELP

All Comments Hide marked as read Mark all as read

  • Posted by UncommonSense 9 years, 11 months ago
    Toilet tissue 2 or more rolls preferred. Can/Bottle opener, Leatherman (if you don't already have it on your belt) Bleach tablets to decontaminate water. Basic First Aid kit. LED flashlight + spare, including batteries. Got water bladder friendly bag? No? Better get a different backpack.

    A change of clothes (2 pairs) for tactical pants/jeans/shirts & as much as you can roll: underwear & socks. Wind proof matches. A few pencils/pens. A small notebook. A small mirror. Hunting knife. Other items depending your location & situation.
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ 9 years, 11 months ago
    You always need a knife and a way to make fire. At the turn of the Millennium, I was working for a newspaper and they held a series of management building sessions. The last of them was a survival scenario: You and your co-workers are coming back from a vacation in Latin America when your plane goes down somewhere in the Caribbean. The pilot is killed. The plane is mostly intact, but unflyable. This is the list of supplies you find. You all have to come out together. Some did not. More on that later, but the Answer from the Back of the Book by the US Army Rangers is that you always need a knife and a way to make fire. I never leave home without them. Never. I might not bring a silver dollar, but I always bring the Swiss Army Knife and lighter.

    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ 9 years, 11 months ago
    72 hours: FEMA and the patriots agree. You should plan on at least three days without help, whether it is a hurricane or an earthquake or an airliner. Today, I participated in an emergency management training session sponsored by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the OneStar foundation. On a morning break, I mentioned the 72 hours to a colleague and she replied that her target audience is college students - who mostly expect to be taken care of because they are children - and she said that her message to them is "72 hours."
    Reply | Mark as read | Best of... | Permalink  

FORMATTING HELP

  • Comment hidden. Undo