Five not so weird tricks to use before you get a bugout bag.
First of all, I am not against having a 72 hour kit that you can grab and go with. Every family should have one, preferably every family member. But I run into a lot of people who think that emergency preparation starts and ends with a “bugout bag”. I’m here to say that if you haven’t started preparing for an emergency, there are a few steps that take a higher priority than having a grab and go backpack at the ready. Let’s take a look at what you need to know and have first:
1. Have A Plan.
Write this down. You need do decide what you are going to do in advance of an emergency, as well as during and after an emergency. When the Fire Department is pounding on your door telling you that you have fifteen minutes to evacuate, that is NOT the time to try and arrange for little Suzie to get picked up at school. That is when Suzie and you both need to know where to go and what to do. So make it a game. How to get out of the house. Where to meet. And what to put into that bag that you WILL eventually be putting together.
2. Get First aid skills and supplies.
Not everyone can be an EMT. But every adult should have the basic skills to save a life. You can bleed to death a lot faster than you can starve to death. You will need a decent first aid kit as part of your 72 hour one anyway, so make it your first purchase, and take a course. The life you save may be your loved ones.
3. Get Basic food and water storage.
One of the lasting images for me from Hurricane Sandy a few years ago was this one:
Affluent New Yorkers forced to dumpster dive because they only had enough food in their pantry for a meal or two. Don’t let this be you. Have enough of the food you like to eat to last you at least a few weeks-months would be better. If you have to evacuate, you can always grab some on your way out.
4. Learn Basic camping skills.
“My idea of roughing it is a hotel without room service”. Ha, ha. We get the joke. But if you can’t light a fire, rig a tent, and cook over a camp stove, you are asking to be miserable. So even if your practice sessions are on a picnic at the park, learn some basic skills. And I promise your kids will love it. They haven’t lost their sense of adventure, and are much less allergic to dirt than us adults.
5. Learn Proper Hygiene
Speaking of dirt, proper hygiene and waste disposal should be part of what you learn, though I don’t advise digging a latrine as part of your practice picnic. The local authorities may not understand your motivation.
OK. NOW go put together your get out of town bag. And if you ever have the need to put it into practice, you will know what to do and how to ensure that you and your family can actually use its contents to keep you safe and comfortable.
Did we miss anything? What other skills and supplies do you want to have even before putting together your kit?
