By Halcyon
The current state of affairs both at home and abroad – no matter where home is – has given many cause for concern about the future. Others have long believed the end is nigh. Whether you fear nuclear annihilation, a mysterious uprising, or are just curious about the phenomenon known as “prepping”, Halcyon is here to get you started! Even if you decide the full prepper lifestyle isn’t for you, it’s always a good idea to have plans in place for a variety of emergencies – don’t wait until it’s too late!
Prepping: The Doomsday, Apocalypse, Zombie Guide
The 72-Hour Survival Kit (AKA The Bug-Out Bag or B.O.B.)
Here in my city of Houston, Texas, we’re kicking off Hurricane Preparedness Week – although we certainly don’t need a hurricane to cause a lot of damage, as some of you have probably seen in the news recently, with horrible tornadoes that blew through Canton. Still, hurricanes are the mother of all storms and have the potential to cause not only damage but death if you are not prepared.
I mentioned hurricane Katrina in the first installment of this series. Although I had begun prepping on a smaller scale and read about it at length, Katrina was the first time I truly saw why prepping had the potential to save lives. We were lucky enough to be able to shelter at my husband’s work for both Katrina and Ike, but we’ve since decided that if another bad one hits, we will shelter in place. Our main reason for this is that despite some of the improvements made for evacuation on the freeways, with as many people living in our happy little city as there are, it’s almost guaranteed to be gridlocked – and being stuck in traffic for twelve or more hours when you possibly have a monster storm on the way is not how you want to spend your afternoon. I remember thinking, as I was watching the news footage of everything from the jammed freeways to the aftermath of Katrina, that nearly everyone in this situation, without exception, could have used the 72-Hour Survival Kit, otherwise known as the Bug-Out Bag.
What is a Bug-Out Bag? I’m about to enlighten you!
The Bug-Out Bag: A Definition
The term “bug-out bag” might be related to or derived from the “bail-out bag” emergency kit many military aviators carry. It seems it may have began with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, designating alternative defense positions in the event that units had to displace. The directive was to literally “bug out” if being overrun was imminent. Their kits carried the essentials in terms of equipment, food, and weapons that they might need to escape, as far and as fast as they could, in seventy-two hours. This was a brilliant idea, and it does not differ much from the concept of the survival kit.
Here is what you need for your very own bug-out bag:
Water and Purification
Remember that this is a seventy-two hour survival kit. It’s going to be heavy, so you need to think about cutting corners where you can. Here are a few suggestions.
• Three liters of water are needed for one person for seventy-two hours.
• Use a water purification canteen. It makes life lots easier.
• A collapsible water bottle/bladder
• Condoms. Yes, you heard me. Unlubricated, though. Trust me.
• Iodine tablets (X3)
Shelter
Don’t overlook the need for portable shelter, as exposure to the elements can kill you in minutes. You have to remember you will be carrying this around, so being light-weight and compact is a must.
• Tarp/plastic sheet
• A lightweight plastic sheet
• Sleeping bag
• Ground pad
Fire Starting
Fire is essential. There’s a reason why it is considered one of man’s greatest accomplishments. It provides you with a way to boil water and make it safe, cook food, and give you warmth.
• Lighter (at the very minimum)
• Magnesium rod and steel striker
• Cotton balls (Vaseline coated)
• Steel wool
• Emergency signal flare
Food Essentials
What you carry in your bug-out bag is inherently different from what you might be storing in your cupboards as a prepper. The reason for this is basic. This survival bag is only meant for seventy-two hours – time for you to get to a point of safety and shelter – and since you are the one who will have to carry it, you want to pack light and pack essential.
• G.O.R.P. – If you don’t know what this stands for, it’s Good Old Raisins and Peanuts. It has been a hiking staple since I was hiking the woods in my home state of Connecticut way back when. G.O.R.P. is calorie-rich and simple to make, and unless you toss chocolate chips in there, it won’t melt in the heat. My advice from experience: Don’t try to save money by purchasing a big ol’ bag from Costco, because you can only eat so much so fast even with several people eating from the bag, and whoever is the lucky person to carry it is going to be very grouchy.
• Peanut Butter – 170 calories per ounce is what makes this food an essential (if you aren’t allergic, of course.) If you are familiar with emergency food ration packets (also known as MREs), this is definitely a staple. If you know someone in the military or who has access to MRE items, you could probably even buy individual peanut butter packets.
• Mainstay Emergency Food Rations (MRE) – 3600 calories per packet. Please remember these are for situations that are dire and where you are needing calories. They are not gourmet and not especially tasty, but they are sealed in waterproof packaging and will keep you alive. I suggest that if you do invest in these, you sit down with the family or alone and taste them. We actually just did this again recently because the kids forgot and it ended up being pretty hilarious.
• Drink Mixes – Gatorade, tea, or coffee. You can buy these in small packets that make for light and easy carrying, and they’ll offer at least a little comfort if you are ever out there roughing it and find yourself dehydrated, needing some electrolytes that water alone cannot replenish – or even just really need some coffee.
• Snickers – No, it’s not the healthiest, but a King Size Snickers weighs less than four ounces and packs 510 glorious calories that you might need in a crunch – and, let’s face it, chocolate is a great moral booster. (Again, not a good choice for peanut allergies, but there are some amazing organic, peanut-free, and even vegan power bars that would also be a great choice.)
First Aid
My little tidbit of wisdom here is Always Be Prepared. Your risk of injury increases during crises, so it is best to not only be prepared, but do so individually. What I mean is make or purchase small, individual first aid kits to keep in each bag, not one large kit that one person carries. You never know if you may be separated, and if you are not the one carrying the medical kit, you are in big trouble. The list below gives the essentials. You can buy a pre-made kit and then divvy it up between the people of your home, but if you have small children I would advise only band-aids.
• Antibiotic ointment
• Sterile gauze
• Painkillers such as Aleve, Tylenol, or Motrin
• Antihistamine
• Cotton balls
• Surgical tubing
• Medical tape
• Tweezers
• Scissors
• Tampons
• Safety pins
• Suture kit
• Insect repellent
• Razor blades
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Instant heat/cold pack
Clothing
Choose clothing that is practical for both your climate and the terrain you live in. Allow for seasonal temperature fluctuations and possibly dress in layers. Remember, the goal is to maintain optimum body temperature. Keep two sets of clothing, and try to always keep one set dry.
• Pants: Choose the best for your climate. If possible, they should be convertible and easy to zip off.
• Underwear
• Socks: Go for wool if you are in a cold climate; carry three pairs, regardless.
• Jacket: Lightweight or fleece, dependent upon your climate.
• A rain poncho
• Gloves, hat, and scarf, dependent on climate
• Boots: Try to be practical with this and find some type of combat boot that will protect you for whatever your climate might be, rain or snow.
Personal Hygiene
It seems that when people begin to organise their B.O.B. lists, it’s personal hygiene products that are often forgotten. I suppose I can understand that, but again from experience, you don’t want to end up in the chaos that was Katrina and be among the thousands of people who needed those very basic items. As someone who has studied disease and outbreaks, let me say that cleanliness is no joke when it comes to preventing disease and infection. Many of these items can be found in the bins at your local Target or Walmart – or even thrift stores – at very inexpensive prices. Remember, you want to be inventive in how you create and assemble everything, because each member of your household will have to carry their own supplies.
• Toothbrush
• Hand sanitizer
• Disinfecting wipes
• Baby wipes, if you have little ones
• Toilet paper and/or the Cottonelle Wet Wipes
• Mirror
• Sunblock
• Soap (liquid or bar)
• Hand towel
Tools And Self-Defense
I can’t stress enough that while this list offers many ideas about what you should have and what you should think about bringing, you need to be able to sit down and tailor it both to your own needs and the needs of family members who might not be able to design their own bag. You’ll have to scrutinise and weed out the wants from the needs, and while each bag will essentially be the same, they’ll have small modifications that are specific to individual needs. The tools and weapons you choose to carry will serve both practical use and as self-defense. You will want to take care with what small children are permitted to carry.
• Survival knife: Fixed blade with sheath
• Multi-tool/Swiss Army knife
• Paracord (AKA 550 cord)
• Handgun
• Rifle (.22 caliber)
• Ammunition
• Cleaning kit
• Pepper spray
• Hatchet
• Binocular/monocular
• Zip ties
Illumination
Let there be light! Light is nearly as important as food and clean water. You need to make sure you have multiple sources of good light to help you find your way and work in the dark. Disasters often mean loss of power, as well as possibly navigating in unfamiliar terrain at night, which can be very dangerous.
• Headlamp
• Glowstick
• Candles
• Steel LED flashlight
• Extra batteries
Communication
This is incredibly important during a crisis. Relying on your cell phone is not safe, as we have seen during many natural disasters and other crises. Cell towers get jammed with calls and it’s impossible to get through. I would strongly advise getting together with all your the family members who live near you to come up with a plan in case there’s ever a disaster. Also, remember you will need some way to listen to what might be happening in your city, as well as warnings and information that may be critical to your survival.
• Cell phone
• Solar or crank charger
• Emergency crank radio
• Walkie-talkie – You can pick up some great walkie-talkies for as little as $30 (set of two) that work long range (10km+), and even sets of 20 for about $200 with the same distance. Choose what is best for you and make the investment. Crises and disasters often times separate people, and having this among your survival gear can bring peace of mind should your group need to split up or is forced to seperate.
• HAM radio – This is also something I would suggest strongly. They are not difficult to operate and they are reliable. There is an old saying, “When all else fails, HAM radio gets through.” HAM radio is unique in the radio communications field. All other communications are confined to specific channels in one specific frequency band, low power limits, and one mode (except for CB, which is confined to two modes). Chances are your community has organisations of HAM operators from whom you can learn. I was lucky enough to have someone I know who could teach me.
Navigation and Traveling
A few things that might make traveling easier whether you are on the road or on foot.
• Map – Local and country
• Compass – You can make one if you need to, but purchasing is easier.
• $100-500 in assorted cash – This can vary depending on the number in your household, but is only meant for emergency funds.
• Waterproof paper and pen – Rite in the Rain has field notebooks and pens that are waterproof. If you have access to a military base or even a military surplus store, they should also carry these.
• Emergency whistle
Pets and Children
There are a great deal of considerations to take into account if you think you might be traveling with small children or pets. I am not going to go into that as I have given you a substantial amount of information already, and with it, you will be able to make the best decisions for your children and pets. Just remember the cardinal rule: Pack small, pack light, and pack efficiently.
Good luck!