In honour of Emergency Preparedness Week, we're posting a few tips and tricks to help you better plan for emergencies.
Today, we focus on Bug Out Bags (lovingly known as BOBs) and how they can help you in an emergency situation. Bugging out is military slang that means to move away from your current location as quickly as possible and usually means your position has been compromised. A BOB is usually a backpack that contains the right gear to help you survive until you reach a specified destination.
Today, we focus on Bug Out Bags (lovingly known as BOBs) and how they can help you in an emergency situation. Bugging out is military slang that means to move away from your current location as quickly as possible and usually means your position has been compromised. A BOB is usually a backpack that contains the right gear to help you survive until you reach a specified destination.
The nice thing about BOBs is that they are extremely personal; you can have anything you want or think you might need, but you should also be able to carry it on your own. Depending on what you are planning for, the items in your BOB might vary dramatically. In the zombie apocalypse, your BOB might contain enough to get you to your bug out location, which might be kilometres away. If you plan your BOB for house fires or flood-related evacuation, your pack might contain weather-appropriate clothing, important documents, cell phone charger, money/card, whatever else you deem necessary. Below are a few things we encourage folks to have in their BOBs, no matter what. Every single category can be expanded into its own blog post, so be sure to do your research and find what's right for you!
SHELTER
This might be actual shelter building supplies, like a tarp and rope, or it might simply be clothing....to shelter you from the weather....get it? Make sure it is seasonally appropriate. Some folks down High River way remind us that while it might be your apocalypse, the rest of the world might carry on. If you have a job that requires dress clothes, throw a pair of wrinkle-free pants and shirt into your bag. Same goes for any identification or security clearances you might need for work.
FOOD
Especially important if you have food sensitivities or dietary restraints, since most evacuation centres won't be set up right away to manage gluten-free or vegan diets in any meaningful way. Grab a few protein bars or some dehydrated foods (camping meals are great); but remember you might not have access to cooking utensils or a stove if you don't pack them.
HEAT
Which brings us to heat: matches, lighters, or instant hand warmers are all great to have in your pack. Keep matches and lighters in water-tight containers; some of our folks have used sealable containers found at camping stores, but others find that simple things like empty candy or gum containers work just as well.
WATER
Having access to clean drinking water is important, but carrying water bottles poses a challenge: they're so heavy! You can make any water potable in three ways: filtering, purification, or boiling. Consider packing a portable water filter or a camel pack to manage the weight issue. You can also buy water purification tablets or drops at your local camping store. These might leave a weird taste in the water, but that's better than weird bacteria. These are often chlorine or iodine tablets; in fact, you can just buy a small container of iodine to purify water. This method is not instantaneous; you often have to wait for the tablets to become effective. We recommend carrying two bottles, so one bottle is always being purified. An easy way to keep your tablets safe in your bag is to store them in a dry, empty water bottle that's snapped on to your pack with a carabiner. Finally, for those hardcore lightweight folks, you may just want to pack a metal container to easily boil water over a camp fire.
HEALTH/MEDICINE
Knowing your own medical requirements in essential, but consider those you are traveling with as well. If possible, pack extras of your friends/family medications in your pack in case they lose their bag or the medication is damaged. Ladies, consider the time of the month, and have a few extra supplies on hand. Have you've noticed that hardly any apocalyptic movies ever mention birth control? If you're the age of consent, then you might want to think about having something to prevent any apocalypse babies. Having a good ol' fashion first aid kit is nice, and many of our members will recommend carrying good blister bandages or mole skin if you plan on walking any great distances.
LIGHT
Since you never know when the apocalypse might happen, having a good headlamp or flashlight can come in really handy while navigating dark streets in a power outage, or scavenging through empty apartment buildings. LED bike lights are lightweight and usually clip on easily to packs, and can serve as a signal if you need.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
You'll need to make sure you have identification, whether it's to get through security checks or to claim your government financial support. Pack copies of passports, birth certificates, wills, social insurance numbers, and any financial or real estate documentation you might need. Some of our members keep this info on a handy USB stick, while others might have copies held at friend's or family member's in another city. Consider your pets! Have full body pictures and tattoos if necessary. For our rural friends, if a fire rips through your area, you may not have time to load livestock. In some cases, you might just have to open the gates and then high-tail it out of there. Be sure to have photos and records so you can claim your animals after the emergency has passed.
Check back with us tomorrow for more items you might want in your Bug Out Bag!
SHELTER
This might be actual shelter building supplies, like a tarp and rope, or it might simply be clothing....to shelter you from the weather....get it? Make sure it is seasonally appropriate. Some folks down High River way remind us that while it might be your apocalypse, the rest of the world might carry on. If you have a job that requires dress clothes, throw a pair of wrinkle-free pants and shirt into your bag. Same goes for any identification or security clearances you might need for work.
FOOD
Especially important if you have food sensitivities or dietary restraints, since most evacuation centres won't be set up right away to manage gluten-free or vegan diets in any meaningful way. Grab a few protein bars or some dehydrated foods (camping meals are great); but remember you might not have access to cooking utensils or a stove if you don't pack them.
HEAT
Which brings us to heat: matches, lighters, or instant hand warmers are all great to have in your pack. Keep matches and lighters in water-tight containers; some of our folks have used sealable containers found at camping stores, but others find that simple things like empty candy or gum containers work just as well.
WATER
Having access to clean drinking water is important, but carrying water bottles poses a challenge: they're so heavy! You can make any water potable in three ways: filtering, purification, or boiling. Consider packing a portable water filter or a camel pack to manage the weight issue. You can also buy water purification tablets or drops at your local camping store. These might leave a weird taste in the water, but that's better than weird bacteria. These are often chlorine or iodine tablets; in fact, you can just buy a small container of iodine to purify water. This method is not instantaneous; you often have to wait for the tablets to become effective. We recommend carrying two bottles, so one bottle is always being purified. An easy way to keep your tablets safe in your bag is to store them in a dry, empty water bottle that's snapped on to your pack with a carabiner. Finally, for those hardcore lightweight folks, you may just want to pack a metal container to easily boil water over a camp fire.
HEALTH/MEDICINE
Knowing your own medical requirements in essential, but consider those you are traveling with as well. If possible, pack extras of your friends/family medications in your pack in case they lose their bag or the medication is damaged. Ladies, consider the time of the month, and have a few extra supplies on hand. Have you've noticed that hardly any apocalyptic movies ever mention birth control? If you're the age of consent, then you might want to think about having something to prevent any apocalypse babies. Having a good ol' fashion first aid kit is nice, and many of our members will recommend carrying good blister bandages or mole skin if you plan on walking any great distances.
LIGHT
Since you never know when the apocalypse might happen, having a good headlamp or flashlight can come in really handy while navigating dark streets in a power outage, or scavenging through empty apartment buildings. LED bike lights are lightweight and usually clip on easily to packs, and can serve as a signal if you need.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
You'll need to make sure you have identification, whether it's to get through security checks or to claim your government financial support. Pack copies of passports, birth certificates, wills, social insurance numbers, and any financial or real estate documentation you might need. Some of our members keep this info on a handy USB stick, while others might have copies held at friend's or family member's in another city. Consider your pets! Have full body pictures and tattoos if necessary. For our rural friends, if a fire rips through your area, you may not have time to load livestock. In some cases, you might just have to open the gates and then high-tail it out of there. Be sure to have photos and records so you can claim your animals after the emergency has passed.
Check back with us tomorrow for more items you might want in your Bug Out Bag!
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