Ever heard of a Bug Out Bag? I hadn’t, until recently. If you are (or were) like me, you wouldn’t have known what one was, or what it was used for. In its simplest form, “A bug out bag is a portable kit that normally contains the items one would require to survive for seventy-two hours when evacuating from a disaster; however some kits are designed to last longer periods of time than just 72 hours.”
You may be thinking, “You’d need food and water? A radio? Flashlight? How am I supposed to know how to get all of that/where to get it/what to get?” Well, don’t feel overwhelmed. In the next few posts, I intend to share some of the info I’ve found, myself, as well as point the way to some products that I have found, bought, and used, personally, to give you a jumping off point. Yes, that’s a hook! Keep checking back! 😀
The following image was sent to me by a company that specializes in food storage/food storage for the home, and it (as well as other helpful information) can be found here:
NOTE: I would add one thing to the list that they do not appear to have here – medications. My wife and I keep our essential medications (I am epileptic, she is diabetic) in a case together. In the event of a disaster or evacuation, it could be grabbed as quickly as the Bag and taken with us.
Why is this important? For two main reasons, which I have encountered time and time again in my own research and my own preparedness planning (some of which I have detailed or mentioned in other blog postings):
1.Disasters of some sort can happen at any time, in any location, to anyone. Any one of the disasters listed above may require you to act swiftly and decisively. ANY preparation is better than NONE.
2. In an disaster, the local/state/government agencies that we so often think of as “the ones who will help us” will be overwhelmed, in all likelihood, immediately following the event. Your safety, your survival, and your ability to cope with that span of time; be it hours, days or weeks, depends on YOU.
Remember – in the final analysis, YOU are ultimately responsible for your own preparedness, and the preparedness of your loved ones and family.
What will you do? I know what I’ve done, and AM doing. How about you?
God bless today, my friends!
The Belgian Takedown 
Looking forward to future reads regarding “bug out bags” and “preparedness”. One thing I didn’t see in the picture that outlines what someone might need is “preparedness” itself. A strong mind, some creativity and a bit of knowledge regarding what you may need to be prepared FOR is a GREAT step towards surviving. This -> http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Hacks-Everyday-Items-Wilderness/dp/1440593345 is a link to a terrific book that, in a pinch, if you can remember just one thing from it, it may make your survival situation 100% easier! (I love the soda pop tops as rope tensioners. They are either FREE, easily found and take up 0 space in your bug out bag!)
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I absolutely agree 100% in that the #1 preparedness tool is the mindset to be prepared to begin with! I forget where I read the quote, but in essence the writer said that even the slowest runner is still further ahead than the person that never gets off the couch. Preparedness starts with (a) acknowledging that “it CAN happen here,” and (b) then being willing to put the time into the steps, one by one, to prepare to whatever level you feel you need to.
Excellent comment, and good idea about the book, too! There are a lot of good resources like that one out there, to be sure.
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