For years I have been teaching people about their 72 hour kit. This is most often referred to as a bug out bag. The plan is to have a 72 hour supply to make do with until you can reach a safe place or until help arrives.
I have re worked my kit several times. The best way to know what you need is to use it. This means a camping trip and only use your bug out bag. If you are not into camping see how long you can live in your home with only your supplies. That means living out of your kit.
Quick review of basic kit.
Number one item for a kit is 3 gallons of water for each person in your home.
Second have 3 days of food that can be eaten without any extra preparation. Like canned food or MREs
Third any medications you need.
After these three things you will need to determine what works for you. Shelter, bedding, tools.
Bugging out?
If things at your location are too dangerous to stay the plan must be to bug out. This would be any emergency that had an ordered evacuation or social situation that makes where you live unsafe. If there is a chance you will need to leave. Be sure you are one of the first ones on the road out. To be one of the first out you need to be ready. Always leave at the first suggested evacuation.
Have your car kit up to date. You should check your kit every month or so to be sure it is still intact. If you are at home grab your bug out kit and add it to your car kit. If your at work grab your work kit. Have a plan of what you will be taking. Water, food, shelter, important papers and money. Be able to bug out in less than 15 min.
Have a place to go. If possible have more than one place you can evacuate to. Going to the community shelter is not the most pleasant place to end up. Plan the routs you will leave on. Try to have a safe place to evacuate to that is less than one gas fill up for your vehicle from your home. If it is a large evacuation for a hurricane, radiation exposure or other regional disaster, a lot of people will be trying to leave. Some routs may be blocked so also have a plan b, plan c, d, etc.
Some things that will slow you down as you bug out.
Need gas? You must have gas in the car. You do not want to have to wait in line to buy gas. Keep your gas tank more than 1/2 full. If you have a safe place to store gasoline store several gallons so you can fill your tank quickly without going to a retail outlet. You may want to have a few cans of gas that you can take along so you can make it if you are caught in traffic.
Waiting for family. It is important that your family have a plan of what to do if every one is not together. Most of the time your family will not all be together. Each parent may be at work, children in different schools. Grandparents at their homes. The longer you wait the less chance you have to get out. Plan a rendezvous point for the members of your family who can drive. Use an out of state contact to keep track of the exit plans and routs your family is taking. Make assignments of who will pick up which family members who do not drive. This will speed things up if everyone knows what is expected of them. You need to accept that all your family may not be able to evacuate together. If you have to wait for every one to be together at home the chance of you leaving early will be greatly diminished. It is better to have some leave early than for no one to leave.
Have everything you plan to take packed and ready to go. If you need to gather things up from around the house you will leave late. All your bug out equipment should be together. Have copies of important documents and a cash stash as part of your equipment. Keep the bug out equipment in the front of the place you store them. If you have to dig them out from the back of the garage you are loosing valuable time.
Once on the road, keep ahead of the crowd. Keep an eye on the gas gage. Watch for a gas station near the exit. If you need to stop for gas, try to get it quickly. If you see a long line of cars waiting and still can keep going to the next exit, keep going. Do not get into line to buy things unless you absolutely have to.
Because you are on the road quickly you will be ahead of the rest of the people. This means you will have the best chance to maintain a good speed, buy gas, food and water along your evacuation rout. You will also have first pick of lodging when you reach your destination.
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