Bug-Out-Bag and G.O.O.D. Box - What's in Yours?

[RustedFox]

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Instead of the usual fighting on here (which hey; is a lot of fun sometimes), I figure we could actually come together and cooperate on a thought project.

The southeast just got hit by two epic hurricanes. We all know that.

I gotta admit; my "preparation" was a bit lax. In 1-2 days time, I managed to round up all the food/water/gear that my wife and I would need for 3-4 days and put it in a big ol' tuffbox and load it into the car in case we got the order to evacuate.

It was a giant pain in the ass, and it made me feel turbo-nervous.

I'm now going to spend the time and money to made a 3-4 day "Bug-Out-Bag" for my wife and I (each), and a "G.O.O.D." (Get Out Of Dodge) Box, so that next time this happens, its simply a matter of putting the bag and the box in the cars, and going.

If any of you "wilderness med" or "disaster prep" folks have any pearls to leave, this is the thread. Recommendations for equipment would be a big help.

 

[Daedalus]

EMcrit did a podcast with Keith Conover about his preparations - Podcast 117 - Everyday Emergency Kits with Keith Conover

Here's the link to his kit recommendations: http://www.conovers.org/ftp/Everyday-Emergency-Kit.pdf

 

[bravotwozero]

My brother in law has this hand crank powered radio with a light and USB ports for charging. Sounds like a pretty handy thing to have in a disaster situation.

Food wise I would suggest healthier non perishable items. Granola and energy bars are basically like 80% sugar and carbs - total junk. Much better off with something like trail mix, canned tuna and beef jerky.

If you don't have a rack on top of your car, might wanna look into it. You can then attach a kayak onto it. When the streets got flooded out in Houston, people were using boats etc to get around. That could get potentially get you out of tight situations...


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[Doctor-S]

If any of you "wilderness med" or "disaster prep" folks have any pearls to leave, this is the thread. Recommendations for equipment would be a big help.

My initial response: a bug-out plan mostly depends on the nature and scope of the disaster or threat (e.g., a hurricane with advance warning vs. an earthquake with no advance warning vs. a wildfire threat).

I have an emergency plan for hunkering down in my home as well as a bug-out bag for my car if I'm away from my home.

My home's emergency supplies are well-maintained and immediately accessible (and not packed away in a closet), and everyone knows where the emergency supplies are located. I also have supplies for our family pet who is microchipped (e.g., food, bedding, identification, harness and water) in a separate container.

In addition to the usual recommendations which are numerous and don't need to be repeated here (e.g., personal identification, flashlight, portable solar crank radio, first aid supplies, Swiss Army folding knife, batteries), here are some other suggestions:

* Currency (in small denominations) because you should have cash ready to pay for things (credit card transactions may not be available).

* Map of your Area and small directional compass (because you may not have access to GPS or an online map system due to power problems).

* List of Important Telephone Numbers (keep this list in a small plastic ziplock bag along with a pen and small notepad). This list is useful for individuals who don't memorize telephone numbers, or whose smartphones have been damaged, destroyed or lost (or have run out of power). Very useful if you need to use someone else's phone for communication.

* Head Lamp with spare batteries (because a head lamp frees up your hands - e.g., you don't have to hold a flashlight in your hand when it's nighttime or too dark to see).

[Note: if you have a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Program in your community, you might want to register for an upcoming CERT class. Where I work, many medical professionals have completed free CERT classes, including MDs, DDS and DVM.]

 

[deleted109597]

* Map of your Area and small directional compass (because you may not have access to GPS or an online map system due to power problems).

People don't get this enough, and are as dependent on GPS as they are on phones now. Sep 11, 2001, the GPS satellites were taken offline because of fears that terrorists were using them to navigate. People hiking in the woods had no idea this happened, and suddenly were unable to use their devices. There's a non-zero chance it will happen again.

 

[Doctor-S]

Folding paper maps of your local city, town or county are free at Automobile Club offices (at least they are at my AAA office).

Get a paper map to keep in your home, car and emergency bag. Paper maps are thin, lightweight and portable. You can get a detailed map for your local area, as well as a map of the surrounding area.

As a reminder:

It is common for mobile map apps to fail (especially in an emergency), or the map apps get "confused" with locations (and can get "stuck" on one location instead), or your mobile phone doesn't get a signal (e.g., loss of battery power, loss of grid power, or no transmission in rural, wilderness or remote areas).

When that happens, what are you going to do?

With a paper map, you can unfold the map and find out where you are and see what your surroundings look like (e.g., nearby towns, water sources, etc.).

If you can find where you are on a paper map, you can find a way out, or to a particular location on the map. On many paper maps, you can also find locations that are designated as emergency resources (e.g., fire authority locations or hospitals) which is very useful if your mobile app has failed and/or there is no battery power/no grid, etc.

 

[RustedFox]

Some additional thoughts that I had after my prepping:

1. Its easier to carry those little packets of gatorade powder/etc. than it is to carry those eight-packs of gatorade. New plan will be to carry a slew of those little packets in the B.O.B. and use whatever water is available in the vicinity (or filter/purify it if not readily available). Recommendations on a water purifier/filter would be greatly appreciated.
2. Its easier to carry (biodegradeable: available on amazon) wet-wipes in small packets than it is to keep big ol' rolls of space-occupying toilet paper dry in plastic bags. I plan on buying enough of those to use and just keeping them in the B.O.B. Another huge space-saver.
3. Rather than purchasing various and nonspecific "nonperishable" foods and trying to cram them into a B.O.B. or G.O.O.D. box, I'm going to just drop the 60 bucks or so on those MRE packages that come in a bucket. Throw bucket in car, and off you go. Its probably cheaper than buying things piecemeal, anyways.

 

[Doctor-S]

Some additional thoughts that I had after my prepping:

1. Recommendations on a water purifier/filter would be greatly appreciated.

I have LifeStraw portable products in my home, car and emergency bags, to purify water for drinking.

LifeStraw water filters make contaminated water safe for drinking.

You can find them online or wait for them to go on sale at a wilderness/outdoor store (e.g., REI).

Here is the link to LifeStraw products (and I am not affiliated with LifeStraw at all):

LifeStraw - We make contaminated water safe to drink.

 

[RustedFox]

I have LifeStraw portable products in my home, car and emergency bags, to purify water for drinking.

LifeStraw water filters make contaminated water safe for drinking.

You can find them online or wait for them to go on sale at a wilderness/outdoor store (e.g., REI).

Here is the link to LifeStraw products (and I am not affiliated with LifeStraw at all):

LifeStraw - We make contaminated water safe to drink.

I have one "personal" LifeStraw unit that I like. I want one that can handle more volume. Recs?

 

[Doctor-S]

I have one "personal" LifeStraw unit that I like. I want one that can handle more volume. Recs?

How much more volume?

Have you considered a "LifeStraw Mission" water filtration unit?

 

[RustedFox]

How much more volume?

Have you considered a "LifeStraw Mission" water filtration unit?

I just looked at this.
Wow. I want one.

I incorrectly presumed that LifeStraw only made the "straw" model, on account of the name.

Thanks!

 

[deleted480308]

Some additional thoughts that I had after my prepping:

1. Its easier to carry those little packets of gatorade powder/etc. than it is to carry those eight-packs of gatorade. New plan will be to carry a slew of those little packets in the B.O.B. and use whatever water is available in the vicinity (or filter/purify it if not readily available). Recommendations on a water purifier/filter would be greatly appreciated.
2. Its easier to carry (biodegradeable: available on amazon) wet-wipes in small packets than it is to keep big ol' rolls of space-occupying toilet paper dry in plastic bags. I plan on buying enough of those to use and just keeping them in the B.O.B. Another huge space-saver.
3. Rather than purchasing various and nonspecific "nonperishable" foods and trying to cram them into a B.O.B. or G.O.O.D. box, I'm going to just drop the 60 bucks or so on those MRE packages that come in a bucket. Throw bucket in car, and off you go. Its probably cheaper than buying things piecemeal, anyways.

Ditto to life straw

 

[deleted480308]

I have one "personal" LifeStraw unit that I like. I want one that can handle more volume. Recs?

I have a katadyne countertop filter (somewhere near a gallon or two reservoir) that's good. Filters a bit slow but it's got an absurd capacity to filter large amounts

 

[turkeyjerky]

I just looked at this.
Wow. I want one.

I incorrectly presumed that LifeStraw only made the "straw" model, on account of the name.

Thanks!

For backpacking I use a platypus gravity filter (comes in 2 or 4 L versions) that works well.

 

[s109442]

Instead of the usual fighting on here (which hey; is a lot of fun sometimes), I figure we could actually come together and cooperate on a thought project.

The southeast just got hit by two epic hurricanes. We all know that.

I gotta admit; my "preparation" was a bit lax. In 1-2 days time, I managed to round up all the food/water/gear that my wife and I would need for 3-4 days and put it in a big ol' tuffbox and load it into the car in case we got the order to evacuate.

It was a giant pain in the ass, and it made me feel turbo-nervous.

I'm now going to spend the time and money to made a 3-4 day "Bug-Out-Bag" for my wife and I (each), and a "G.O.O.D." (Get Out Of Dodge) Box, so that next time this happens, its simply a matter of putting the bag and the box in the cars, and going.

If any of you "wilderness med" or "disaster prep" folks have any pearls to leave, this is the thread. Recommendations for equipment would be a big help.

 

[s109442]

When life gives you lemons just say f.ck it and bail. Paul Rudd

 

[bravotwozero]

Guns and gold...


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[intubesteak]

Guns. What's to stop a "lesser prepared" prepper from deciding he likes your bug out kit better, and taking it?

 

[RustedFox]

Does anybody have recommendations for various items of clothes that are "stay-dry" or "waterproof/water-resistant"?

Socks and undies included.

 

[intubesteak]

Does anybody have recommendations for various items of clothes that are "stay-dry" or "waterproof/water-resistant"?

Socks and undies included.

I'm no prepping expert but I do spend enough time backpacking and hunting in the rain to have some opinions on this.

Rain gear is pretty personal. Some people will spend $700 on a really nice, breathable, stretchy, etc etc rainsuit. I get by just fine with the cheaper Frog Tog stuff. In the end, plastic and rubber are the only 100% waterproof materials used in rain gear. I have backpacked all day in the rain using my frog tog $20 suit, and other times with just the $1 plastic ponchos. Both work just fine. You can never be fully dry because you will always sweat if you are moving around, but these things will keep new water from constantly splashing on you and sucking away your core body heat. I would have a bunch of the $1 plastic ponchos and maybe a frog tog suit or two in my kit. I think these cheap/disposable things work better overall than anything under about $300-$400, at least of the ones I've tried.

For footwear, rubber boots are the only truly waterproof shoe. But again you don't have breathability so at the end of the day your socks will be damp/wet, but less wet than if your feet are swimming around in "waterproof" hiking boots.

Suffice to say, if you are out in a lot of rain all of your clothes will be damp regardless of the raingear you have due to condensation (esp in the south). Probably the most important thing is being able to get dry at the end of the day. For this, you want all synthetic fibers in your clothing. NO COTTON!!! Wool socks will work as well. Just check the tag on clothing and make sure its not cotton. Spandex is OK, polyester is best. This is probably the most important thing.

Guys spending weeks in Alaska will actually get into their synthetic (ie not down) insulation sleeping bags at the end of the day, with damp clothes (and even their boots), and by morning your body heat will help dry everything out. I've never tried this because I bring at least one change of clothes when I'm out, but just know it can be done if you are in a serious pinch. Obviously a change of clothes is best!

I would probably put my entire kit into some kind of dry bag, especially a change of clothes or two. You can find them on amazon or whatever pretty cheap.

 

[Birdstrike]

Instead of the usual fighting on here (which hey; is a lot of fun sometimes), I figure we could actually come together and cooperate on a thought project.

The southeast just got hit by two epic hurricanes. We all know that.

I gotta admit; my "preparation" was a bit lax. In 1-2 days time, I managed to round up all the food/water/gear that my wife and I would need for 3-4 days and put it in a big ol' tuffbox and load it into the car in case we got the order to evacuate.

It was a giant pain in the ass, and it made me feel turbo-nervous.

I'm now going to spend the time and money to made a 3-4 day "Bug-Out-Bag" for my wife and I (each), and a "G.O.O.D." (Get Out Of Dodge) Box, so that next time this happens, its simply a matter of putting the bag and the box in the cars, and going.

If any of you "wilderness med" or "disaster prep" folks have any pearls to leave, this is the thread. Recommendations for equipment would be a big help.

While my town was in the hurricane's crosshairs, before it turned west, my "big out bag" was a very early reservation at the Ritz Carlton 500 miles inland. Having ridden out hurricanes before, I had no desire to do so again. Can always cancel if the storm turns (which we did).

 

[TheComebacKid]

I know this thread is mostly about disaster preparation as it pertains to hurricane and MCIs. But a word on the "medical kits" out there.

Some of the contents of these pre-made kits are really just there to give your average tactical wannabe without any medical training a massive erection. My recommendations for what you actually need in the back of your car

1. a tourniquet
2. some gloves
3. some bandages (not the tiny little sponge bob ones that came in your free kit you got at the Red Cross booth)
4. a brain that tells you "let me not pull over in an area where I will get run over"
5. a brain that tells you "let me flag down some help"

If you have the training, and you live in the middle of nowhere where it will take first responders 45 minutes to reach you, you can consider some slightly more "advanced" stuff like a 14 gauge angiocath or BVM set up.

But otherwise, facilitate EMS getting on scene and make sure they get the hell out of there ASAP. Other than a few damage control measures like applying pressure to a wound, CPR, no real intervention you make in the field will have a meaningful outcome. Some of these websites are selling chest tube set ups, pleura-a-vacs and crich kits. Give me a break.

I also have never been able to fathom these kits with ibuprofen or Colace for emergency management of constipation in the field.

I've had a few chuckles watching non-medical trained individuals with a 500 dollar medical bag they found on a tactical website try to "stabilize" a patient and instruct EMS what they should be doing. Always entertaining.

 

[deleted859535]

I know this thread is mostly about disaster preparation as it pertains to hurricane and MCIs. But a word on the "medical kits" out there.

Some of the contents of these pre-made kits are really just there to give your average tactical wannabe without any medical training a massive erection. My recommendations for what you actually need in the back of your car

1. a tourniquet
2. some gloves
3. some bandages (not the tiny little sponge bob ones that came in your free kit you got at the Red Cross booth)
4. a brain that tells you "let me not pull over in an area where I will get run over"
5. a brain that tells you "let me flag down some help"

If you have the training, and you live in the middle of nowhere where it will take first responders 45 minutes to reach you, you can consider some slightly more "advanced" stuff like a 14 gauge angiocath or BVM set up.

But otherwise, facilitate EMS getting on scene and make sure they get the hell out of there ASAP. Other than a few damage control measures like applying pressure to a wound, CPR, no real intervention you make in the field will have a meaningful outcome. Some of these websites are selling chest tube set ups, pleura-a-vacs and crich kits. Give me a break.

I also have never been able to fathom these kits with ibuprofen or Colace for emergency management of constipation in the field.

I've had a few chuckles watching non-medical trained individuals with a 500 dollar medical bag they found on a tactical website try to "stabilize" a patient and instruct EMS what they should be doing. Always entertaining.

I remember someone posting a link to one such thread on a gun or survival/prepper forum. Some guy(s) talking about getting their hands on morphine and a ****load of medical equipment beyond their training. Not to mention odds of use. What're you gonna do.

(Die when the zombies come, apparently.)

 

[deleted480308]

I remember someone posting a link to one such thread on a gun or survival/prepper forum. Some guy(s) talking about getting their hands on morphine and a ****load of medical equipment beyond their training. Not to mention odds of use. What're you gonna do.

(Die when the zombies come, apparently.)

I had a friend ask about teaching them to do chest tubes.......nope

 

[MSmentor018]

like you I live in FL and this last one could have been catastrophic. the plan you have to ask yourself is: as an er doc what are the chances you're going to be off to leave? hurricanes typically go north. we only have one escape route, north. so it's either leave very early to beat the weather and traffic or we're stuck here.
gas was non existent at some pumps the day before it hit here (sun-mon) so if you're leaving, obviously extra gas cans. the military jerry cans work great.
if you're staying you don't have to spend a bunch of cash. you can get it all at walmart or such. mountain house dehydrated foods, mre, rice/beans, can goods...etc non perishable stuff. everything you tell your pts they shouldn't be eating
for cooking -your bbq will work fine, cheap backpacking stoves, lighter, have extra propane tanks of course
for water- fill your bathtub asap, any containers, coolers, or large "aqua-tainers". make a ton of ice and store it in baggies. you'll use them for drinking and fridge. any water filter is great, you hopefully will never need it.
clothes- any fast drying clothes, wet weather gear, boots, mucks...etc. gloves. hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, deet
phone- who knows what will work but if the circuits are intact an old school 1980 hand held phones that don't require power work. cb radio, hand crank radio
defense- keep low key. I think its' smart to be armed. if people see you with stuff, desperation will make it their stuff (we had 10 or so listed robberies on sun)
finally power- batteries, candles, flashlight, lanterns...etc. if your car still runs (hopefully full of gas), have a power inverter in it with a long cord and have a portable 1 room air conditioner. a boat battery works too. also solar panels or wind silos to power them. or just buy a DUAL fuel generator (propane/gas) and just live comfortably until you feel like going back to work.

 

[deleted109597]

Get the biggest generator you can afford. We are all doctors. Get one that's hardwired and works on NG. They're amazing, instant on, and act like you never lost power.
Even if you get a gas one, get as many KW as you can. 15-17K will run a couple ACs, which is more than you'll need. If you've got more than 2 ACs, you'll simply have to limit yourself to certain parts of your house. It's not impossible.
Oh, you meant if you're leaving? Guns, ammo, food, and some way to filter water or carry water. Before Harvey I filled every single bottle with a lid up and put it in the freezer. I used them for ice and to keep those same freezers cold once the power went off. I had 5 days without power, wishing I had a generator. Thankfully nothing spoiled, but it all thawed. Grill party ensued. Too bad you all missed out on my red snapper and yellowfin tuna meals.

 

[Birdstrike]

How about some of that dried up, old dehydrated food Ron Paul sells, that'll last 50 years?
I'm sure some of you preppers are stocked up on that stuff.
They don't make surviving sound very fun.

 

[RustedFox]

How about some of that dried up, old dehydrated food Ron Paul sells, that'll last 50 years?
I'm sure some of you preppers are stocked up on that stuff.
They don't make surviving sound very fun.

Are you gonna say something useful? 'Cause one of the things that we're all stocked up on is unhelpful posts. While you're being snarky; a good part of my city is still without power.

 

[Doctor-S]

I forgot to mention ... I also have a bug-out bag for my cat.

If you have a pet, it's advisable to prepare a bug-out kit or emergency plan for them, too.

 

[Birdstrike]

Are you gonna say something useful? 'Cause one of the things that we're all stocked up on is unhelpful posts. While you're being snarky; a good part of my city is still without power.

Honestly, I wasn't paying enough attention to the thread to realize you were out of power and under water from the storm. Having gone through the same thing last year, two years before, and having taken a partial hit this year, my intent was not to be a jerk. Sorry, if my post offended. I hope things get better for you, and quickly.

 

[deleted480308]

How about some of that dried up, old dehydrated food Ron Paul sells, that'll last 50 years?
I'm sure some of you preppers are stocked up on that stuff.
They don't make surviving sound very fun.

Are you gonna say something useful? 'Cause one of the things that we're all stocked up on is unhelpful posts. While you're being snarky; a good part of my city is still without power.

I do have about a month worth of dehydrated meals for the family as an "in case"....

 

[gutonc]

I do have about a month worth of dehydrated meals for the family as an "in case"....

I have a week's worth (for a family of 4, and we are 3...so a little more I guess) in one of those buckets mentioned above.

I can also have all the camping supplies packed in/on the car in 30 minutes. It includes a small solar panel as well as an "advanced" first aid kit (that I made by raiding the supply closet in my office). I fill up the propane tank whenever we come home from camping, regardless of how much/little it's been used so it's always close to full (and I have a couple of 1# bottles as well. I also keep 3 or 4 bags of ice in the garage freezer at all times so I can load up the Yeti when necessary. Certainly not perfect, but a pretty good start.

 

[gutonc]

The animal bug-out-bag is an idea I've never thought of. I have a cat now (which is easy...grab some food and the carrier and go), but we're getting a dog in a couple of weeks so will need to rethink that strategy.

 

[Doctor-S]

For my cat:

1. I have a cat carrier, with a cat harness-leash, and identification information (including pet photo and contact information), and my pet's vaccination record conveniently tucked under the cushion in the cat carrier (inside a sealed plastic bag). A small cozy cat blanket is also conveniently tucked under the cushion, as well as several flat gallon plastic zip bags. The cat carrier is readily accessible, at all times.

2. A small metal identification tag is securely fastened to the side of the cat carrier. The metal tag provides vital information about my cat, including her microchip number and her veterinarian's telephone number.

* If you have to shelter in a "human-only-no-pets-allowed" location ... or if you become injured or separated from your pet which occurs much more often than people imagine, other people (including first responders and aid workers) can identify your pet, based on your pet's emergency information, or the metal identification tag, and your pet's microchip. This means you and your pet can be quickly reunited; and your pet's veterinarian can be notified about the status/location of your pet, if no one can find you.

* If you do not keep a copy of your pet's current vaccination record with your cat's bug-out bag, you can contact your veterinarian to obtain that information, by telephone, email, internet log-in, or text message, or whatever else is available (depending on the nature and extent of the emergency, and assuming lines of communication are open). Where I live, many veterinary offices provide that information on their client's online websites.

3. I also have a portable supply of canned cat food, cat kibble, collapsible dish, disposable litter tray, and water, readily accessible. So, my cat is "good to go" in an emergency situation, at all times.

In the event of an evacuation or an emergency, I put my cat in her cat carrier, pick up the cat's bug-out bag, and pick up my own bug-out bag, and off we go!

 

[JustPlainBill]

I'll admit to not reading the entire thread but those responses I glanced over didn't seem to have -- an important papers bag;

Dad was military and we lived overseas in a semi-friendly country; Mom had survived WWII in Germany and the allies bombed their city into rubble so they had to book to my great grandma's farm out in the country. Our "fly away" kit included 2 sets of underwear for each, a change of clothes, medicines x 72 hours, a deck of cards, birth certificates/passports/insurance policies/last will and testament/shot records/other "important" papers, a few "snack bars" (this was the 70s).

One day, some genius overfilled the JP4 tanks that were located off base up in the mountains and JP4 overflowed into the drainage ditch system. At about 0700 ish, some genius flicked a cigarette butt into the drainage ditch and 175,000 gallons of JP4 went up at one time -- the boom knocked my bed off the wall and I woke up. By that time, Dad opened the door and was pulling on his fatigue shirt and issued the 2 word command, "Get dressed". I knew what that meant -- jeans, sturdy shirt (no tshirt), sturdy comfortable shoes, grab a jacket, the fly away kit (stored in my closet) and head for the front door. I looked down the hallway and Mom and Dad had just opened the front door and Mom almost fainted -- I peeked out and the flames were above the houses across the street with black smoke curling from the top. We went to the parade ground and waited for the heavy choppers with reinforcements from the Navy base, figuring the base had just been hit.

Always know where you and your people are, have your grab and go bag set -- all day, every day, all the time, be prepared to survive if everything goes down...

 

[cbrons]

Dont forget gun with plenty of ammo in Bug Out Bag

 

[Old_Mil]

Are EPs more likely to be survivalists because we don’t have to wait for an apocalypse to see the zombies?

 

[cbrons]

You can get food-grade buckets from Loews or Home Depot (with gamma seal lids) for pretty cheap. Get 5-lb or more bags of rice or beans, pack them in mylar bags (e.g. here, but there are many other options: Mylar Bags, 5 Mil 1-Gallon (20) + Oxygen Absorbers 300cc, (50)), throw o2 absorbers in, then seal with a hair straightening iron. Pretty easy to do, and this coming from someone who learned how to make grilled cheese his junior year of college.

For water, this is a good purifier here

 

[MSmentor018]

don't forget to pack a survival book as well as recreational reading. if you're not using survival skills on a regular basis, you'll tend to forget even the most basic info