It seems strange to be talking about how to prep for summer storms when it is currently the middle of winter. (sigh) But that is what preppers do – plan ahead! Summer storm season has shown up this year with a vengeance. With flooding in Texas, tornados in Oklahoma, and more, this year is shaping up to be a monster season.
While we can’t really help what the weather does (or really predict it past more than a few days), there are a few things we can do to protect ourselves and our families for when those strong storms come knocking. These 10 ways to prep for summer storms are just a few ideas that you may want to consider.
10 Ways to Prep for Summer Storms
Food storage
Did you know that the average American family keeps a food supply of 3 days or less in their fridge, freezer, and cabinets? If the power is knocked out at your home for longer, what would happen?
You would quickly run out of food. To prepare for that possibility, make sure you have at least a 2 week supply on hand.
Do you have to stock up on those survivalist freeze-dried MREs? No, you can find a lot of very suitable things in your local grocery store.
What kind of food? Think about ready-to-eat meals that only need to be heated up – like canned ravioli, chili, Spam, etc. Even canned condensed soups are a good bet.
Water
Back in 2008, when the State of Wisconsin flooded, there were multiple cities that lost their water supply to contamination. In an emergency, water is one of the very first items to disappear.
Instead of having to scramble to find some for your family, store it now before you need it. Ideally, you’ll want to store 1 gallon, per person, per day, and extra for each pet that you have.
Light
Power outages are no fun for anyone so be sure that you keep flashlights, a supply of batteries, candles, and matches on hand. If you’ve got small kids, you may want to consider flameless LED candles, just be sure to stock extra batteries if you’re going to use them.
Prep for Summer Storms with Batteries
Speaking of batteries? Flashlights and LED Candles aren’t the only things that take them. Make sure you have extras just in case you need them.
My big tip? Black Friday is when Menard’s has had a fantastic deal on both AA and AAA batteries – we always stock up and for literal pennies when compared to the rest of the year.
Do NOT get these at the local Dollar Store. I know it is tempting but they seriously don’t have that great a shelf life. It would really suck to need them and realize that they were dead.
Grab and Go
As little as we want to think about it, there are some situations where it’s best to not stay in your home. Flooding, fire from a lightning strike, roof leaks, and more. To prepare for this, be sure you have a Bug Out Bag for each family member that is packed and ready.
Gasoline
Keeping a few extra gallons of gas on hand serves two purposes. One, if you have a generator, you can use the gas to fuel it in the event that your power is out.
Two, it can also be used in your car to evacuate if needed. If you’re going to be storing it for a while, be sure to add a bottle of Stabil to it to keep it from going bad.
Emergency Radio
If the power goes out, you’ll still need to be able to keep up with the weather and any alerts. Picking up a NOAA Weather Radio will help you do that. Y
ou can find them as cheap as $13 on Amazon. Be sure you spend some time picking yours out because you can find them with a ton of different features.
This weather radio is our favorite as it a hand crank but also has a solar charge option. It is great for charging your phone too! It boasts these features:
NOAA weather radio with 7 NOAA channels to get the latest weather and hazard information
The hand crank radio flashlight cell phone charger with a 4000 mAh li-ion battery, which charges more than one smartphone in the emergency
4 Ways( Micro USB charge, Solar charge; Hand crank; Replaceable li-ion battery; ) to keep the hand crank generator on power
The electricity label will notice you clearly the electricity of the emergency radio
The flashlight radio with a super-bright 3 mode flashlight for any dark places you are in
Motion sensor reading lamp for you to get up in the mid-night to avoid waking your family
Prep for Summer Storms with Plywood
If you live in a hurricane-prone area, you may want to consider keeping some plywood on hand to cover windows with. While it may not fully prevent damage, it will help some. You’ll also need nails or staples and a hammer to make sure you can hang the sheets.
You may also want to look at the window film that secures against breakage.
Fire safe lockbox
Having a lockbox is a must to protect your important documents like birth certificates, social security cards, and any custody papers. Having them in a fire-safe box as well is just a second precaution.
Insure me
Do you have renters or homeowners insurance? Storm damage is usually considered an “act of God” for insurance purposes which means that they will cover it. Flood insurance is not provided through an insurance company but through the federal government.
Both are typically very affordable and if by some tragedy, you would lose everything in a storm, your home and possessions are covered. On the same note, we never know what is going to happen and there have been many people killed by storms.
Make sure that you have proper life insurance as well. The last thing any of us want is to leave our family behind with no way to pay for debts or take care of themselves.
Other posts you may enjoy once you Prep For Summer Storms:
GREAT Reads for Preppers? If you have taken my coupon class, you have heard me say that less than 5% of our population has followed FEMA’s basic guidelines for a 72 hour supply of emergency supplies (food, water, etc) for each member of their family should an emergency arise.
THAT is a great reason to start a (reasonable) stockpile.
Part of your preps should be a little reading. I am not talking about all those dry manuals on what to do and how to assemble this or that – but a few books that really help paint the picture of what you are preparing for.
GREAT Reads for Preppers
That being said, I love it when I find books that are both entertaining to read, as well as educational. Both of the books I am going to talk about have thought-provoking ideas on what MIGHT happen, and what kind of things we MIGHT want to prepare for.
I have read both of them, and then shared them with like-minded people who agreed with me – that they are worth the read.
Occasionally, we can figure out what we might need to add to our preps by being able to visualize a situation in our minds, instead of reading a black and white text or checklist that tells us what to look out for.
THAT is where stories come in for me – they help me understand little things like why saving silver coins is important, etc.
If you are totally new to the concept of “prepping”, here are a few GREAT books to help shed some light on the concept AND give you ideas on what steps you should take first.
Let’s start with One Second After. It is a story of a man trying to fend for his family to have a war that sends the United States back into the dark ages because they used Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP). It is a weapon that the Wall Street Journal warns could shatter America.
This is set in a typical small town and explains what really could happen to us.
A great read and a good thought starter. How it works is an electromagnetic pulse instantly disables almost every electrical device in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. Airplanes, most cars, cellphones, refrigerators—all are fried. Crazy, huh? Amazon has it for $9.99 right now – with free shipping for Prime members.
Then, there is Lights Out. It’s a similar plot – EMP causing an effect that leads us back into basically pioneer times.
To quote one of the reviewers:
“If the lights go out the stores could close up, our paper money could become worthless, most would likely become hungry and desperate, your neighbors could become your biggest enemies and the proverbial gloves very well could come off if or when the “S” Hits The Fan. “Lights Out” may help get you thinking about how you would handle a prolonged bad situation and how you can start preparing now to keep you and yours better off then.”
This book is on Amazon right now for $19.95, with free shipping for Prime members. I will tell you it is probably one of the best books I have ever read – and was so incredibly well written and full of ideas. It really showed how the little things can add up to a larger problem, and how community disorder can create more problems.
It is a THICK book – but an incredibly great read.
Both of these books are a great “jumping-off point” to see what the big deal on “Prepping” is…and decent reads for the action/adventure lover.
Is there a great book that you have read that I should add to this list? Please share!
Emergency Preparedness Tips for Pets? If you live with furry friends it’s important to plan for their well-being and safety in an emergency, too. Few of us will forget the images of pets struggling for survival in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The lesson was learned hard and fast, and animal welfare in an emergency took a quantum leap forward via legislation, public awareness, emergency services, and owner preparedness.
Take some time to prepare for emergency scenarios befitting your geography. Every pet owner should have a grab-and-go plan for evacuating a home quickly and some geographies require a plan for extended absences.
Great Emergency Preparedness Tips for Pets
Here are some tips from the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States:
Get a Rescue Alert Window Sticker
This will let emergency workers and others know how many pets are inside your home. Stickers are free from the ASPCA and from some pet stores or veterinarians.
How to Care for A Senior Pet might help you prepare a bit – there are a few added considerations for accommodating them well.
Arrange a Safe Haven and Caregivers
If it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your pets, so don’t leave them behind. Not all Red Cross disaster shelters accept pets, so it is imperative to make an evacuation plan for them ahead of time.
This includes identifying hotels outside of your immediate area that accepts pets and asking friends and relatives outside your immediate area if they would be willing to take in your pet. Establish a permanent caregiver should something happen to you.
Evacuation Preparation
If you must evacuate your home in a crisis, plan for the worst-case scenario. If you think you may be gone for only a day, assume that you may not be allowed to return for several weeks. When recommendations for evacuation have been announced:
Make sure pets are wearing tags with up-to-date identification
Bring pets indoors. Pets can become disoriented and wander away from home during a crisis.
Call ahead to make arrangements for boarding your pet outside of the danger zone at the first sign of disaster.
If emergency officials recommend that you stay in your home, determine which rooms offer safe-havens. These rooms should be clear of hazards such as windows and flying debris.
Choose easy-to-clean areas such as utility rooms, bathrooms, and basements as safe zones.
Fill up bathtubs and sinks ahead of time to ensure that you have access to water during a power outage or other crises.
In the event of flooding, go to the highest location in your home, or a room that has access to counters or high shelves where your animals can take shelter.
If you keep other kinds of pets, the ASPCA lists special considerations for birds, reptiles, and small animals that are important to read.
Please be humane.
So many loved pets are left behind in times of crisis because their owners didn’t prepare for THEM if there was a potential threat. I think of Harry Connick Junior who went in a little motor boat from home to home to rescue both people and pets.
I see clips like this – with NO pets visible and wonder what happened to all of those loves…
We’ve talked about Emergency Prep before; about needing a water supply, bug out bags, and stocking up on enough food that you can eat with minimal preparation in the event you have to relocate quickly or are without power for an extended period of time. One critical thing you need to know: How to store water.
While wildfires rage on in different areas of the world and people are dealing with those toxic fumes, there are so many other things we need to consider:
Tornadoes
Blizzards
Ice Storms
Earth Quakes
Black Outs
The list could go on!
What is the FIRST thing to do?
It can be easy to be flustered and overwhelmed when you start doing emergency prep research.
Get stocked up on water
We can live almost 30 days without food, but only a few days without water!
You will need MORE water than you think you do…and need two different kinds: drinking water and washing/cleaning water.
I am not usually a fan of bottled water – but this is an excellent reason to have some on hand. When you get a good deal on it, grab a few extras for your emergency prep area. FEMA says 72-hour supplies of things for emergencies, but if it is a bad situation, it could take 3-4 WEEKS to get any help. Sadly we have seen this repeatedly through different situations over the last few years.
When you can’t get to a store, the stores are all closed or empty; you can’t turn on a faucet. Bottled water will be your friend.
There are other things you can do instead of buying bottled water –
Water filter pitchers. Most of them filter out sediment-type elements and won’t eliminate harmful bacteria from water.
Water purification tablets. They often have a slightly funky chlorinated taste when used, so try them first before stocking upon them.
Boiling all water for 30 minutes, so it is drinkable. Let’s face it, that can be a hassle when you are in the middle of an event.
Let’s talk about cleaning water
For washing up, doing dishes, helping to flush the toilet — you will need water too!
A simple way to stock up on cleaning water is to fill milk jugs after you empty them. (Rinse them out first).
You can also use the jugs that laundry detergent comes in, or white vinegar, etc. Do NOT rinse them out as that water can have those residual remnants in there and be more useful when needed.
Install a rain barrel or two. These work great for the garden as well as cleaning tasks.
You can even stock those in the garage if you want – just make sure they are not FULL if your garage freezes in the winter as mine does. Leave about 2 cups of water out, and you have plenty of “headroom” for the water expansion.
It’s critical to understand the importance of hydration and how to stay safe if the regular water supply is interrupted. People can go longer without food but not water. Cells start to deteriorate and die when deprived of water, soon after which organs quickly shut down, and the damage can be irreparable. At least 64 ounces of water is needed every day.
Dehydration danger signs
Here are some symptoms of dehydration:
Swollen tongue
Weakness
Dizziness
Heart palpitations
Confusion
Sluggishness
Fainting
Inability to sweat
Water storage is crucial to any prepper supplies. You can only live 3 days without it and we use it in almost everything we do. Making sure that your water preps will last is another must-do task when it comes to your prepping. Learning how to properly store water will help you do just that.
How to Store Water Properly
To start, you need to know how much water you need for your family in the event that something would go wrong and you needed to rely on it. This means figuring out exactly how long you want to prepare for. You must know this before you go any further.
How much water do you need?
Once you’ve got a time frame in mind, you will need to do some light math. You need to prepare, at the very minimum, 1 gallon of water, per person in your family, per day that you want to prepare for.
For instance, if you have a family of 3 and you want a 3 month supply, you would need 3 gallons per day, 21 gallons per week, 84 gallons per month, and 252 gallons for the 3 month period.
How to store water for your pets
Be sure not to forget your pets too. You should count on 1oz of water per pound of each pet per day. Your 16lb would need roughly 16oz of water per day. These are bare minimum amounts. Ideally, you would want to store at least one and one-half times the minimum to account for things like excessive heat, cleaning, bathing, and so on.
What to store water in
Water needs to be stored in something obviously. The best thing to use is something that is made for doing just that. You can pick up 5-gallon jugs at Wal-mart for around $15.00 each that will keep your storage safe, but if you are planning on storing a lot of water, you might want to consider food-safe barrels.
On the flip side, if you don’t have the money in your budget to buy containers, rinse out 2L soda bottles or empty juice containers and use those. Just be sure to rinse them well so that there is no sugar content left behind.
Keep it safe to drink
If your water is chlorinated, you won’t need to do anything to store it. It will store safely for well over a year. If it’s not chlorinated, however, you will need to give it some help. To each one-gallon bottle, add 1 small cap full of bleach. This will keep anything yucky from growing within your bottles so that your water is still safe to use and drink.
If you don’t like the idea of bleach, water purification tablets are always an option – we like the Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets With PA Plus.
It is a revolutionary two-stage process that makes water bacteriologically safe to drink and taste good. After treating water with Potable Aqua, simply drop 1-2 tablets of the neutralizer into the water and wait 3-5 minutes for clear, great-tasting water.
It greatly reduces the iodine taste and the discoloration caused by the iodine. Packaged in a 50 count bottle along with a 50 count bottle of Potable Aqua on a blister card.
A Checklist for Bug Out Bag Making? I am a firm believer that, if you are ready, you never need it! So, we are talking about getting ready! Bug Out Bags and How to Make Them is a simple thing you can engage the kids into so they have the illusion of control for any possible situation. It is good to get the entire family on board with this concept!
Bug Out Bags and How to Make Them
First, we talked about a basic water supply, just in case you all of a sudden can’t use your faucets. (think tornadoes, etc).
Today, we talk about Bug Out Bags (BOBs).
If you watched that 10 Minute Notice video I just shared, you might have to leave your home FAST.
This is where a Bug Out Bag comes in handy
Bug Out Definition
Think of the national emergencies that took them a LOOOOOONG time to respond to Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf Coast Oil Spill, etc. Having enough basic supplies to help your family get from place A to place B safely and comfortably is the goal.
This makes it fast and easy for you to “bug out” if you have a very short time to leave your home.
When you hear the term “bugging out,” most people immediately picture getting out of the area in their vehicle so that they can get to their prearranged meet-up site.
But bugging out isn’t something that can encapsulate every single situation in a crisis moment. If a SHTF moment happens, you might have no choice but to get out – but you’ll have to do it on foot.
These are times that can occur that might allow you to stay local and you’ll be able to get back home once the crisis is over. Bugging out doesn’t automatically mean that you’re going to have to spend months out in the woods in a survival situation.
There can be disasters when it’s a short-term time frame. But the key to success for short-term survival that’s temporary and local in the outdoors is to plan ahead. Since you won’t know the difference until it actually happens, you plan for the worst so that you’re prepared in the short term.
You’ll have the gear and supplies that you need to survive temporarily in any location because you will have already planned for a long-term stay. A temporary bug out could mean something like you have to go for a few days and stay in a tent at a location you’ve already scouted ahead of time.
In this plan, you need to plan to have enough supplies for at least 72 hours for everyone in your group. When it’s going to be a temporary situation, then you can travel lighter, but only do that if you know for sure that you’ll be able to come back home soon.
To survive in a short-term situation, a temporary bug out means you have to be prepared by having your bag, good hiking boots, knowledge of the way out, and the ability to get yourself to an area out of the chaos so that you can survive.
A long-term plan can easily be adapted into a short-term one. You’ll still need the same stuff to start with – and you’ll still follow the same protocol – but just or a bit longer.
By being prepared, you’re in control rather than conceding control to whoever is in charge of the situation – if there is anyone to take charge at all. If a truly awful SHTF situation has happened and you have to bug out and you know it’s going to be long-term, you follow your plan.
Get your bag and get out of there. Take your vehicle if possible – but if that’s not an option, then rely on your immediate bug out plan and your maps to get you to the location that you’ve scouted in advance and head out on foot.
In a long-term SHTF situation, you know that you may not be able to ever come back. So you head to the location that you’ve prepared for homesteading. For some people, this is a site to camp in.
For others, it’s a bug out cabin or other structure such as a container home that’s well hidden and able to protect you during the event. Wherever it is, this is the place where you begin to set up your life again.
A Survival Backpack for Every Member of Your Family
You need to have your gear already contained and ready to go for two main reasons. First, in the event of an emergency, everyone already knows where to go to get their hands on several days’ worth of necessary supplies.
Secondly, in the event of an emergency, if your home becomes unfit for habitation and you need to leave in a hurry, all you have to do is grab your backpack and go. You want a good quality bag with double stitching that has plenty of compartments to keep everything organized.
Bug Out Bags
Every member of the family should have a backpack of their own with his or her name clearly labeled on the outside because you can’t carry enough for every member of the family in one or two bug out bags.
You should even have bug out bags for babies and toddlers in the family. While they can’t carry the bag themselves, it’s wise to have all their stuff together so you can get to their needs quickly.
Children and teenagers, however, can carry their own backpacks and it will make them feel safer knowing that they have their own provisions. The sizes and weights of these backpacks vary.
Bug Out Bag Options
They can be purchased so that they’re the right fit for children up to adults. You want to look for backpacks that say they’re height-adjustable since obviously, all children aren’t the same height. Check the back-to-school sales in the fall, garage sales over the summer, or even thrift stores.
Also for children, you’re going to want sturdy, yet lightweight material. You’ll want backpacks that are waterproof for them. For teenagers, you can get the backpacks with the frames but you might not want to do this for younger children because of the added weight of the frame. These backpacks can have internal or external frames.
The children’s survival backpacks are a smaller version of the adult-sized ones and some of these have pockets that you can access without having to stop and take the bag off. Many people find this added convenience helpful.
These backpacks also have padded straps for the shoulders and are made of water-resistant nylon. These also come with multiple pockets and hooks for storing gear. Most of them come with expandable straps and some come with a hydration pocket. Look for ones that are hydration compatible if you want that feature.
You can get some backpacks that are made of wicking fabric. This is a fabric that will help keep the contents dry and they’re usually thickly padded backpacks, too so they’re comfortable to carry if you have to travel any distance. You want to look for backpacks that are expandable so that they’ll hold everything you need them to hold.
Checklist for Bug Out Bag Essentials
If you’re new to survivalist training, you might not know what bug out bags are. This is just gear that you can grab and go on your way in the event of a disaster. You can put your gear into a backpack or other sturdy nylon bag.
Bug Out Bag Food
You’ll need food that’s lightweight. Something like freeze-dried foods or MREs. Make sure you pack enough that can last everyone with you for at least three days.
Water is a must-have. Power/granola bars, peanut butter, salt-free crackers, nuts, canned beans/veggies, just-add-water noodle dinners, fruit snacks, beef sticks, juice boxes/bags.
We aren’t talking gourmet meals here, we are talking things that could sit in your bag for 1-2 years, be light to carry, and fill your family’s belly until you either have help arrive or get to a safe location. Try to avoid things that will make you thirsty.
You’ll also need three days’ worth of water for everyone. But you’ll want to take along something to collect water in for the days ahead. Pack water purifying tablets. Bleach can do in a pinch but is harder to pack.
Bug Out Bag Gear
Aside from food and water, you need a way to cook the food and boil the water. To cook the food, you’ll need a basic cooking set, which would be lightweight pots that can be used over campfires or on a portable camp stove.
You’ll want to pack clothes for two days. We will talk more about that in a minute… but rain gear like a poncho can be used as shelter in a pinch. Bring a hat along to keep the rain and the sun off your head. Take sunglasses to protect your eyes in case you’re out in the sun for long periods. A bandana should be packed because it can have a multitude of uses.
Shelter materials should also go in your backpack. Take a tent or a tarp along with cording in the event you need to tie something to trees. Carry a sleeping back or a sleeping pad along to protect you from having to sleep directly on the ground. Make sure there are enough emergency blankets for everyone.
Personal hygiene materials need to go in your bug out bags and don’t forget your first aid kit. Firestarters are necessary as are waterproof matches. Take a flashlight that uses solar power rather than batteries.
You’ll also want fishing gear, a knife, and a multi-tool. An emergency radio and a way to charge your cell phone using solar power should be included in your bug out bag. Have sturdy gloves and a small ax that can be used to make a clearing or to get debris out of your way.
You’ll want to have a folding shovel and duct tape along, too. Bring your important papers and pack entertainment. Finally, make sure that you bring a weapon such as a gun in order to protect yourself and your family.
Each of the bug out bags should have a change of clothes, few pairs of undies (face it – we can wear an outfit more than one day if we have to but would love clean undies with it!), toothbrushes, personalized necessary medicine (insulin, asthma, allergy, etc).
Now – for other things to add!
For the kids – you need things to entertain them – small, that travel easy. Think card games, small puzzles, coloring books, and crayons. Also some snacks. They can carry the lighter things like fruit snacks, granola bars, etc. Don’t forget diapers or infant formula if you need them!
Don’t forget your pets! Pet food and extra water for your pet are important too.
A good rule of thumb to follow would be to pack as if you’re going to be gone for three days. You’ll also want to consider exactly where you’re going when choosing what clothing to pack because the area you’re going to may have different weather than where you’re currently living.
If you’re heading to a rainier area, then you’d want to make sure you had rain gear – and if you’re going to an area where the weather is colder, you’ll want warmer clothing. Since room can be limited in a backpack, you want every piece of clothing to serve a purpose.
Pack two pairs of pants to wear. Since you’ll be wearing a pair, that counts as your third-day pair. You’ll want to take long pants rather than shorts since you might be hiking through rough terrain. Plus, having long pants can help protect your legs against insect bites.
Take two shirts along for the journey. You’ll need one that’s fit for warmer weather – such as a short sleeve t-shirt. But you’ll also want a long sleeve shirt for cooler temperatures. Remember that temperatures always drop in the evening hours. By having both a short sleeve and a long sleeve shirt, you can double these up for warmth if needed.
For undergarments, you’ll need to take two pairs of socks and two pairs of underwear – but you’ll also want to pack a pair of thermal underwear. You can wear these under your clothing in the event of cold weather.
You’ll want to take along a hat to protect your head from the sun’s rays as well as to keep your head warm if it’s cold. A hat can also be useful to keep the rain out of your eyes.
A jacket is a must-have clothing item, but you want one that can serve two purposes. You want one that helps you keep you warm but can also protect you from inclement weather like rain.
Many jackets have a waterproof shell and are lined with warm material on the inside. You can find some that are lightweight so that fitting them in your backpack won’t be an issue.
Don’t forget to pack footwear. When you first start out, it’s best to wear your waterproof boots and pack a pair of athletic shoes. Break them in ahead of time to prevent blisters if you have to hike around a lot.
You could add sleeping bags and a tent to this collection of bags, or plan to sleep in your car until you get where ever you are going. I have our Bug Out Bags on a shelf above our tents/bags so they are all together.
This is SIMPLE stuff to do that even FEMA suggests.
How Heavy Should Your Bug Out Bags Be, Realistically?
One important thing to know before you bug out is how much your bug out bags should weigh. Most people lean toward the “more is better” type of thinking when it comes to supplies, but in this case, it could mean you get slowed down and put in danger.
Bug out bags that are loaded to the hilt with everything but the kitchen sink will get you killed. The heavier it is, the more strain it puts on your body and it will slow you down as you’re walking or running to safety.
Not only that but if a bag is too heavy, it will act as a gravitational pull that could cause you to fall backward. There are different mindsets when it comes to the right weight. Some people say a ballpark estimate is less than 50 pounds – while others think along a much lighter amount of about 15.
The truth is that your bug out bags should be packed with survival necessities and should weigh around ten percent of your body weight. While that might seem like an impossible goal, you have to remember that bug out bags aren’t a catch-all solution.
Its intended purpose is to help you survive for 72 hours – not weeks or months – but some people pack it intending it to last for weeks or months. If you fill it up like that, you’re going to end up with a bag that’s too heavy for you to safely bug out with.
If your bag is too heavy, not only is it going to prevent you from bugging out with speed, but it can wear you out and even end up causing shoulder or bag strain, which could impact your safety in an ambush or animal attack.
Your bag should only be loaded with 3 liters of water and purification methods for obtaining water after that if needed. You’ll need 3 days’ worth of food. Though it can be tempting to pack more, that would be a mistake and weigh your pack down.
You need to follow the same 3-day rule when it comes to clothing. Carry a means of shelter with you if you don’t have the survival skills to build something in the woods. Take a first aid kit, flashlights, fire starter method, and a camping pot.
Carry any knives you brought along in the bug out bags, but keep your gun on you so that you can get to it quicker. Some preppers think of packing a bug out bag the same way that they pack groceries.
They put whatever is bulkiest and heavier on the bottom of the bag then load the lighter stuff on top. This is backward for a bug out bag. You want the bulk of the weight at your shoulders to avoid strain on your lower back.
You’ll want any shelter items like a tent or a tarp on the bottom – because these items fill out the bottom of the bag and help support other items that you pack on top of them. When packing a bag with outside pockets or Molle straps, make sure that you have items of equal or close weight on either side so that you don’t end up with an off-balance weight.
If you cut down on all the items you pack, you save weight in your bag and you save your strength because you’ll be carrying a lighter bag when you go. Instead of packing a heavy tent for a shelter, pack a tarp.
Not only can it be used in place of a tent, but it can also be used as a hammock, a windbreaker, and a water collector. Instead of packing eating utensils, pack sporks. You can use them as both a spoon and a fork.
Tools are usually where a lot of preppers waste valuable space in their bug out bag. People will pack dozens of different items like screwdrivers, saws, or pliers when you can find a multi-tool that can do the job of several different items.
You can get a multi-tool that can be used as a screwdriver, as a wood saw, like a knife, a wrench, pliers, hard-wire cutters, a crimper, and even as a hammer. Gadgets are another way that people fill up their bug out bag.
I really like this toolset. This is professional emergency survival equipment, equipped with a large-capacity waterproof box, used to store 22 pieces of emergency survival equipment and emergency supplies, designed for camping, hiking, hunting, and mountain biking adventure trips, to meet any medical or emergency needs.
The lightweight waterproof case holds: Tactical flashlight, tactical pen, bracelet, compass, tactical knife, fishing equipment set, etc., are made of high-quality material, providing excellent safety and durability, meeting emergency and medical needs, making your camping, wilderness survival, or hiking trips easier and more convenient, without worrying about getting lost.
Most of these gadgets really are necessary – such as a radio, a communication device, flashlights, and more. But instead of packing items that serve only one purpose, make as many items as you can do two jobs at least.
Instead of carrying a separate flashlight and radio in your bug out bag, get one instead that’s both a flashlight as well as a radio and charging device for your smartphone. One item that can do the job of several other things is dental floss.
This can be used to secure shelter to a tree instead of a rope. It can be used to fix tears in clothing or to create a warning system against possible intruders. Floss can be used to sew up wounds or as a fishing line.
In a pinch, it can be used as a tinder or to slice through something if you don’t have a knife. You might think of salt as a flavoring for food and nothing more – but this can be used as an antibacterial treatment and it can be used to disinfect items.
Vaseline can be used as an antibiotic treatment and as a fire starter. Trash bags can be used as rain gear, waterproofing, or as a water reservoir. Look through your bug out bag and see what items can be combined to save space and allow you to pack something you may have had to leave behind instead.
Knowing When It’s Time to Bug Out
Those who are prepared for survival situations know that a bug out may come. A bug out is exactly how it sounds. It means it’s time to get out of dodge. Bugging out may mean you’ll have to get where you’re going by walking.
If this is the case, then you need to make sure that you have sturdy shoes or boots – and the means to have food and shelter if it’s going to be a long trek. Being prepared for this scenario means having a bug out bag where you can get to it when the time comes for you to go.
Bug Out Car
Bugging out by vehicle means that you’re leaving in a vehicle that’s already prepared ahead of time for a bug out. Your vehicle is gassed up and ready to go within seconds.
It’s time to bug out when the place you’re at is no longer safe – or could be compromised – and survival may become an issue. This means you need to be prepared to bug out in the event of a weather emergency, a terrorist attack, a flash mob, or a riot.
Bug Out Situations
You also need to leave fast if there’s a contaminate set loose in your area – such as a train derailment and the train was carrying some nasty hazardous materials that escaped into the air. City-wide blackouts are a criminal’s favorite time to come out and wreak havoc. Your possessions aren’t worth losing your life over – so leave.
If there’s been a city-wide breakdown of communication resources like if the 911 system crashes, get out. These systems are all computer run – and when the computer crashes, you’re on your own. When a city goes down, law and order go out the window and chaos ensues.
If some nasty weather is headed in your direction and it’s not looking good, get out before the government officials tell you to get out. Why? Because there will always be thousands who wait until the last possible minute to leave – and you may end up trapped in your vehicle sitting still on an interstate while a harrowing storm bears down on you.
Bug Out Plan
Plan ahead of time to take an alternate evacuation route, since the main roads will be overrun by people trying to leave. Print out your escape routes and have them where you can get to them easily.
Know where you’re going. Don’t just hop into your vehicle and take off. Plan ahead for every possible emergency. Have your kit or bag ready to take with you when you go. Inside the bag, you should have water, food, first aid, a way to take care of shelter – like a sleeping bag or poncho, flashlights, and personal safety tools like Mace or weapons.
Make sure you pack a battery-operated or hand-crank radio so that you can listen for emergency broadcasts. Have a way to start a fire and make sure you have a change of clothes.
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You hear of the horror stories every year: motorists and their families stranded for hours and hours on a highway because of incliment weather or accidents. While people are hungry, cold, thirsty, and more – they would have been better off if they had taken just a little bit of time to create a basic emergency roadside kit for their vehicles.
Nothing spoils the holiday season more than an unfortunate highway issue – either from weather or an accident. I am a firm believer that, if you are prepared, you never have to worry. It’s sort of like “insurance” to keep you and your family safe.
Plan Ahead for a Roadside Emergency Kit
We all like to think that it would never happen to us. According to the Wisconsin DOT, there are, on average, 20,000 motor vehicle crashes each winter season within the state. In these crashes, 6,000 people are injured. On average, an additional 60 people die in fatal winter-related car accidents every year in Wisconsin. That is 20,000 drivers who didn’t think it would happen to them…and 60 unlucky souls who didn’t make it out.
I can think of several occasions where icy roads, poor visibility, and even heavy snowfall caused multiple vehicle pile ups on highways where the now stranded, and possibly injured, motorists had to wait hours to be assisted.
If you don’t have an Emergency Roadside Kit, it’s time to make one! Consider including the following:
That is just the basics for a basic kit – you need to add in special items if you live with inclimate weather. We take a 5-Gallon bucket, fit with a toilet style flip lid, and add the following items:
This should prevent you from ever having an issue – or being one of those people that we read about! It also means that you are ready to come to someone else’s aid – if you see someone else in trouble.