bug-out bags. do you have one?

[Alphaville]

and what’s in it?

with one thing after another lately, i’ve decided to facilitate fleeing in the face of catastrophe and put together quick migration/survival needs in on package. i live in a small place so it’s easy to gather things, but my goal is 60 seconds to the emergency exits: put on pants, grab, go.

i can split all tools and essentials between two adults: one smallish, one largeish.

do you have a bag ready for the next earthquake/volcano eruption/flood/nuclear meltdown/civil unrest/nazi zombies? what’s in it? what’s not needed?

curious about preparations by people in this message board.

[Gilberto de Piento]

I don't have one but I should. One day when some weird stuff happened at work it also occurred to me it might be a good idea to have some supplies there.

[jennypenny]

Yeah, I think a get-home bag is more important than a bug-out bag, although both are important.

[Dream of Freedom]

No. I do try to work on my general level of preparedness, but I think the idea that if a disaster occurred that the first thing I would do is grab a backpack and head into the wilderness a little strange. There would almost have to be a riot or something for it not safer around other humans.

[nomadscientist]

Agreed, but riots are more likely than basal collapse of the food supply. There were riots last month in the USA.

Also, most things that collapse the food supply will mean society isn't coming back. Riots tend to end when the government reasserts itself or is replaced. This makes short term survival more useful.

[Alphaville]

Yeah, I think a get-home bag is more important than a bug-out bag, although both are important.

i’ve got 2 homes, but work at home, so my emergency plan might be maybe taking the most essential things from the city rental to the mountain cabin in the family compound.

No. I do try to work on my general level of preparedness, but I think the idea that if a disaster occurred that the first thing I would do is grab a backpack and head into the wilderness a little strange. There would almost have to be a riot or something for it not safer around other humans.

this is sort of why i’m asking around here. if you look at premade bags for sale (i wanted to see if i’d copy one of them) the premade bags look to be equipped for the jungle or something like that.

me, i wouldn’t head to the wilderness; but earthquakes, floods and fires have a way to force people out of their homes very quickly (also advancing armies... i watched a documentary about WWI recently, and there were many forced relocations, which got me thinking...)

based on prior experience, i’d rather not have to think too much while high on adrenaline, and some sort of pack by the door would be handy.

im thinking more “what would a person need to have at hand if suddenly displaced?” than heading for the mosquito coast.

Agreed, but riots are more likely than basal collapse of the food supply. There were riots last month in the USA.

Also, most things that collapse the food supply will mean society isn't coming back. Riots tend to end when the government reasserts itself or is replaced. This makes short term survival more useful.

i’ve seen recommendations for 72h food/water rations in some places.

[Sclass]

I’m not a big believer in bugging out. Where I live (greater Los Angeles area) it doesn’t make sense because of traffic. I’d be a sitting duck on the freeway parked in traffic. I had a girlfriend who escaped from Saigon on a boat in the 1970s. They had a little more than a bag. They also had a few weeks to put their plan together.

That being said I do carry a bag of tools and supplies in my car. I have a half gallon of water and some other things in the trunk. Pepper spray. Knives. Flashlight. Clorox wipes (pre pandemic). Baby wipes. P100 respirator. Jackets. Some of the kit is in this thread.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4820&hilit=Everyday+carry&start=80

But like JP I’m headed home.

[Alphaville]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4820&hilit=Everyday+carry&start=80

But like JP I’m headed home.

that is some nice stuff! thanks for the link

so no risk of earthquake/tsunami/wildfires/other?

[nomadscientist]

Nothing beats already being in a bug-out location. It would be hard to escape the centre of Los Angeles. On the other hand a bug out bag is cheap and gives some options, whereas relocating is often a major burden.

[2Birds1Stone]

When we were living in the states I had a backpack with a Sawyer Squeeze water filter, small LED flashlight, Leatherman Surge multitool, a change of clothing (base layers), dental floss, a compact blanket, 2 lighters (in a ziplock bag), and a spare "dumbphone".

[Seppia]

@Sclass
I’m always puzzled by the people who live in a major metropolitan area and have a bug out back to survive the wilderness, when such wilderness is 40+ miles away and they don’t have a motorbike.

[Alphaville]

the one time the fire department made me run out of a building (many years ago) i almost froze in my pajamas.

so im thinking emergency blanket and rain poncho are #1...

[Dream of Freedom]

Where do you plan to go? How far is it?

It would probably be good to quantify how much you can each carry without stopping every 10 minutes.

Consider climate and terrain.

[Alphaville]

first step is just out the door always.

i saw this documentary too about new york the other day.

they’re interviewing this woman who has a clothing store in brooklyn. she’s talking about how long she’s been in her location.

then she remembers how in 9/11 she decided to open the store anyway for morale or whatever. and then she remembers she ended up doing good business that day because the people walking over the bridge were all covered in dust and had nothing to wear (then she starts crying as she remembers and says she had never talked about that day).

extra base layer as @2B1S mentions sounds good too.

eta: and the water filter looks cool and affordable

[jacob]

i’ve seen recommendations for 72h food/water rations in some places.

FEMA et al expect everybody to be able to take care of themselves for 72hrs before "the government shows up to help", hence the [72] recommendation. In practice, it could be longer. See Katrina and Maria.

Insofar kits---mainly for breakdowns on the way from your home to that shelter---contained more mundane/useful supplies like a roll of toilet paper, a fresh pair of socks, a tarp, a toothbrush, some gardening(*) gloves, and a hat, they wouldn't sell very well. A water filtration system has a higher profit margin than an extra bottle of water. A ferro rod and a survival knife is sexier than a BIC lighter and a pair of scissors.

(*) The universal glove.

Methinks, there are two competing narratives wrt bug-out bags. In practice, it pertains mostly to tornadoes and earthquakes which gives ~10 min and zero warning respectively with no time to run around the house to gather materials. However, survival fans and terminology points more towards people preparing for a nuclear war which also gives little to no warning (the missiles are in the air). I probably forget a scenario or two, but in all other cases, one should have enough time to leave or stay in a more orderly fashion.

[tsch]

I keep basics in the car in case I want to stay out on unexpected travel or need to make a fast evacuation (change of clothing, water, coffee kit, storm-proof matches, dog food, utensils, knife, towel, basic toiletries, a few garbage bags). There are some odd things riding around in the bottom well of the trunk that I've just left there that I think could be weirdly handy...a hacksaw and a pair of bolt cutters found on the street.

I have been meaning to make a checklist of things to grab if I need to leave and have the chance—the kind of things I use day-to-day and wouldn't keep in a kit. Papers. Reading glasses. Flea/tick meds for dog. Journal. Kindle. Chargers.

I've had to leave twice in recent years for wildfires. I recently gave up my beloved iMac and went back to a laptop full-time because that will be easier to grab and run with. And I learned that loungewear is nice to have. In my case I went to relatives and was just cold in their house, but I imagine there would be other situations you might prefer to sleep fully clothed, so I'll always have sweatpants and sweatshirt if I can. Baselayers as already mentioned could serve that function as well.

Next time might be everything-into-a-moving-truck—but that's not just because of fires.

[Seppia]

@jacob
If the “here’s my bag to survive in the wilderness 90 miles away and I don’t own a motorbike” is probably my #1 pet peeve, the “here’s a ferro rod so I can look cool while struggling to light a fire instead of buying a $1 bic lighter which is indestructible and lasts decades” comes in at a close number 2.
Number 3 is probably the $500 folding knife when a fallkniven f1 (already a total overkill) is $110 at most and much better for the task

[Alphaville]

If the “here’s my bag to survive in the wilderness 90 miles away and I don’t own a motorbike” is probably my #1 pet peeve,

this is precisely why i’m polling reality vs nonsense here

so, focusing on realities—do you have any sort of earthquake prep in your apartment?

Reading glasses

THIS. i mostly have them on my face all day but i can see myself running out without them

[Seppia]

Zero because I don’t live in a seismic zone.
I made a semi conscious decision* to be in a place with zero earthquake risk, zero dangerous flood risk, zero hurricane/tornado risk etc.
Around my area there have been some (few and minor) landslides, but I picked our place in what (should be) a particularly safe place.

In general I believe some sort of planning can be more effective than a backpack.
Sorry to repeat myself, but for example I believe owning a motorbike is more important (in a city setting) than a BOB, as it allows you to leave an area regardless of traffic conditions.
Owning a small and cheap looking apartment in a not so far but relatively isolated area not too far from where you reside is likely to be more effective at surviving some riots than a BOB or a bunker 8000 miles away.
Always having 7 days of drinking water stored seems more important/convenient to me than a lifestraw kit
Etc

*i say “semi” because career has always been a factor in defining where we live, so it was not FULLY intentional at all times.
We lived in NYC during Sandy, for example, but at the time we had made the conscious decision not to be too close to the water.

[horsewoman]

No... As soon as you have some animals you'd only leave behind in extremely dramatic circumstances, staying put is more attractive.
Horses are pretty hard to relocate in a pinch...
That being said, we do live in a rather "mild" region, weatherwise and with low density of population (rioters would find it pretty boring here, I assume).
We had unprecedented, severe flooding a few years ago, which hit our area completely without warning. We've been without power, phone and Internet for days (pretty much unheard of in Germany!), and I've ramped up our prepping ever since. If it ever gets so bad that we need to leave our farm we are save anywhere, I suppose.