asgardshill
06-10-2008, 06:43 PM
An RPF poster whose home is apparently in danger of being consumed by wildfire started another thread, noting that she would probably be evacuating as quickly as possible.
I'm a firm believer in being prepared for just such an emergency, whether it is fire, natural disaster, flood, or societal unrest. To that end, I have compiled a variety of essential items into what I call a bugout bag. My "bag" is a plastic tool chest on wheels, kept in the back of the closet in the front hallway, which can easily be snagged on my way out the door.
I keep a printed list, frequently updated, of items that are not actually inside the bag that I need to go grab before bugging out. I've attached copies of this list to the front of the bag for quick reference, and each item on the list is prioritized in sequential order. This list includes any and all camping supplies and portable generator/fuel that I keep elsewhere in the house and garage, instructions to fill up my water supply and/or grab any bottled water and food in the kitchen, medications, money and valuables kept elsewhere, etc.
Here's some of what I keep in my bugout bag:
batteries
battery charger, solar
blanket, emergency
camp stove with fuel
candles
cell phone (did you know that you can use any cell phone, even one that is not activated, to call 911?)
clothing kit (packed depending on the season)
copies of important papers (insurance policies, prescriptions, name and phone number of insurance agent and main offices of insurance carrier, family and friends out of area, name of family attorney, copies of deeds, titles, ID cards, passport, and inventory list of Bugout Bag contents)
duplicates of credit cards
first aid kit
fishing kit
flashlights and other light sources
food (Mainstay "lifeboat bars", freeze-dried, MREs)
GPS
hard drive, external (contains all financial and personal records, updated monthly)
keys to everything
kitchen pack (utensils, matches, mess kit, etc.)
knives (Swiss Army, machete, others)
laptop (contains scans of all family photos)
med kit (all prescriptions, OTC meds, vitamins)
money (roll of quarters, some FRNs, gold and silver)
money belt
pen, pencil and paper
phone book
phone cards
portable toilet and supplies
radios
solar still kit
spares kit (bulbs, mantles, sewing, general repair)
sunblock
survival guide
tactical harness (holds canteens, weapon belt, and small items in pockets and hanging from belt. I built it from a surplus SWAT tactical harness. Good for keeping essentials at arm's length if you have to go into town)
tape
tarp
tent
toilet paper
tool kit (hammer, screws, nails, saws, screwdrivers, shovel, etc.)
topo maps annotated with GPS coordinates
towels
water (12 bricks retort packaged and water jugs (kept full and rotated))
water purifier (Katadyn Hiker) with spare filters
weapons with ammo
whistle
The whole bugout bag, water included, is light enough for me to lift it into my vehicle and/or just pull around.
I'm a firm believer in being prepared for just such an emergency, whether it is fire, natural disaster, flood, or societal unrest. To that end, I have compiled a variety of essential items into what I call a bugout bag. My "bag" is a plastic tool chest on wheels, kept in the back of the closet in the front hallway, which can easily be snagged on my way out the door.
I keep a printed list, frequently updated, of items that are not actually inside the bag that I need to go grab before bugging out. I've attached copies of this list to the front of the bag for quick reference, and each item on the list is prioritized in sequential order. This list includes any and all camping supplies and portable generator/fuel that I keep elsewhere in the house and garage, instructions to fill up my water supply and/or grab any bottled water and food in the kitchen, medications, money and valuables kept elsewhere, etc.
Here's some of what I keep in my bugout bag:
batteries
battery charger, solar
blanket, emergency
camp stove with fuel
candles
cell phone (did you know that you can use any cell phone, even one that is not activated, to call 911?)
clothing kit (packed depending on the season)
copies of important papers (insurance policies, prescriptions, name and phone number of insurance agent and main offices of insurance carrier, family and friends out of area, name of family attorney, copies of deeds, titles, ID cards, passport, and inventory list of Bugout Bag contents)
duplicates of credit cards
first aid kit
fishing kit
flashlights and other light sources
food (Mainstay "lifeboat bars", freeze-dried, MREs)
GPS
hard drive, external (contains all financial and personal records, updated monthly)
keys to everything
kitchen pack (utensils, matches, mess kit, etc.)
knives (Swiss Army, machete, others)
laptop (contains scans of all family photos)
med kit (all prescriptions, OTC meds, vitamins)
money (roll of quarters, some FRNs, gold and silver)
money belt
pen, pencil and paper
phone book
phone cards
portable toilet and supplies
radios
solar still kit
spares kit (bulbs, mantles, sewing, general repair)
sunblock
survival guide
tactical harness (holds canteens, weapon belt, and small items in pockets and hanging from belt. I built it from a surplus SWAT tactical harness. Good for keeping essentials at arm's length if you have to go into town)
tape
tarp
tent
toilet paper
tool kit (hammer, screws, nails, saws, screwdrivers, shovel, etc.)
topo maps annotated with GPS coordinates
towels
water (12 bricks retort packaged and water jugs (kept full and rotated))
water purifier (Katadyn Hiker) with spare filters
weapons with ammo
whistle
The whole bugout bag, water included, is light enough for me to lift it into my vehicle and/or just pull around.