DO YOU KEEP A BUG-OUT BAG READY TO GO ?

[Rex B]

funny, after waiting to get a round tuit, wife and I finally did this last weekend. I had two identical lined soft coolers with extra pockets from the last NASCAR hospitality affair. I loaded those with everything we'd need if stranded for a few days away from home: spare clothes, RXs, food, GPS, knife, pepper spray, pistol & ammo, and a few other things. It's not complete, but it's a start and better than nothing.

Lots of info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug_out_bag

also, I intend to scan all important documents and save them to a spare SD card. I'll probably mill a recess inside the grips of my carry pistol to store it.

[jbirds1210]

I intend to scan all important documents and save them to a spare SD card. I'll probably mill a recess inside the grips of my carry pistol to store it.

I will post a list of our BOB's later if I get a chance to log what all is in them. They are a combination of things that my Wife and I decided on.....

We each have a set and could survive together or apart for several days. We keep contact information for a network of friends and family...no matter what direction we end up. My first recommendation would be to take it easy on the ammo until you have stored plenty of water! Going without water would most likely be what harms you.

We keep a copy (and some originals) of all important documents a couple of hundred miles away from the coast along with a detailed copy of pictures and other important information for the insurance company.

We were among the people who waited until something like Katrina happened to REALLY be prepared. I am sure our plan in not bulletproof, but we are much more likely to survive a really bad situation because of our planning. I am FAR from a survivalist, but I do want to be able to care of my family until order and organization (I say that with a smile) is restored.

[stevie_d_64]

Kimberly and I can be packed and out of the house in a couple of minutes with our dogs and everything we need to survive for three days with no outside assistance. I consider three days an absolute minimum if you live on the coast.
Jason

Ditto...

We have our stuff in a pair of Level III packs, off of Cheaper than Dirt...Just the right size to grab and go...

Whats good for us is that over the last year or so we have prepositioned clothes, footwear...Winter and summer clothes where our primary evacuation/destination is to be...

Water collection/filtration, food bars that we rotate every season, basic shelter, topical and OTC medications...I believe we are good for 5 days...Anything longer and we got bigger problems I suppose...

Its not too hard to organize and work out something that fits your comfort level...Its no big deal, and a no brainer...

And the biggest lesson...

Form a plan that is not based so much on "stuff", but a step by step plan on what you're going to do in the event of ________________ (fill in the blank), and plan accordingly...

[TIN BENDER]

Montague Co. is beautiful.
Our Sheriff and his staff still deal with the METH HEADS 24/7.
And do not forget Vicki at the Nocona Hospital who was murdering patients.
And one of our biggest skunks, Henry Lee Lucas.
Life is good here tho'.
Thanks for all your input.

[RPBrown]

TIN BENDER, Montague, where are you going to "Bug Out" to?
I think you are already there brother! What you need is a good perimiter defense plan and some "You Loot, We Shoot" signs.
Got any room for some of the rest of us that might have to flee our area?(Houston)
Regards, OE

Exactly what I was thinking! I was hoping to drop in on the CHL'ers in DFW in time of trouble :)

With the storms we've been having lately, I may bug out to down there.

[ElGato]

I don't have a bug out bag.

I have a bug out truck!

[flintknapper]

I don't have a bug out bag.

I have a bug out truck!

Now we're talkin'!!!!!!

[Stupid]

Really want to make a comment that may break the 13 year old rule.

[jbirds1210]

Thank you for holding back.....it really is appreciated.

[stevie_d_64]

Well, since it looks like bang bang stuff needs to be included in the "plan"...

I do have a great load bearing vest that does that job...

And we do have a place to bug out too...Its been ingrained into the membrane since I read "Alas, Babylon" for the first time when I was 12...

Our first real test of the plan came when Rita came a calling...

Everything worked out fine...

So you can say we got it covered...

[KBCraig]

My immediate family --and I must include myself in this-- would all have to plead guilty if charged with being procrastinators.

I don't have a BOB per se, but when it comes to "bang stuff", we're ready to go. The main gun will be a Winchester 1300 Defender (18", cylinder bore, full length mag), which is already loaded, as is the buttsock, as is the side saddle, as is the bandoleer style sling. I'd have to count, but I think that's about 30 rounds of 12 gauge at the ready.

We'd automatically have what I'm already wearing (24 rounds of .45 ACP), and a quick sweep of the shelf into a handy range bag would add handguns in .22, .38, and 9x18, all in handy paddle holsters, and another sweep of the arm would dump several hundred rounds of ammo into the bag as well.

And of course I would grab as many rifles as we could carry easily, and an ammo can full of bandoleers, which have loaded chargers ("stripper clips" for those heathens who don't speak Enfield. )

Total time to load all the "bang stuff" into a vehicle would be about three minutes.

Total time to throw toiletries and changes of clothing into a duffel and load all four of us into the van, maybe 20 minutes. That includes dog food and bowls, and (at current count) four adult dogs and four puppies. Love the cats too, but they live outside and would fare just fine without us, so we'll dump a bag of Purina on the porch and look for the cats when we get back.

We have multiple gallons of drinking water ready to go, plus a generator and six NATO 5 gallon cans of STA-BIL'd gasoline. Travel trailer is ready to hook up and ready to live in at any minute, although we'd have to transfer some groceries from the house. Three multi-band radios (including SW) and batteries are always ready, as are flashlights (plus spare batteries).

Our bug-out time would range from under 10 minutes for drastic "get out, now!" situations, to a couple of hours if we were facing a long term evacuation with some advance notice.

For those of you facing bug-out from major urban areas, I would like to stress having the DeLorme "Atlas and Gazetteer" for the state where you live, plus adjoining states where you might have to travel. Keep them in your vehicles at all times. Know how to read the maps. While the rest of the world is parked on the northbound interstates, a good map could have you plugging happily along on secondary roads. But!... know where the choke points are!

If we were to get more serious about it, one thing I would add to our plan would be a decent dual-sport motorcycle, for route recon. FRS/GMRS radios for communication if cell phones aren't working, and the motorcycle scout can guide the family bus around the worst of it.

Okay, so I just want a good thumper motorsickle. But any excuse in a storm, eh?

Kevin

[TIN BENDER]

I like the Winchester 1300 idea !
Nothing says HELLO like a shotgun.

[stevie_d_64]

Cell phones are kaput! Rita taught us that...We kept them on and on-charge just in case...But they are just about useless...

Cheap two-ways are the way to go if you are in a multiple vehicle convoy...That way you don't necessarily have to stay on someones bumper if you are evacuating together...

Don't worry too much about multiple users on those 20 channel talkies either...COMSEC is not a big deal...I wouldn't worry about useing codes too much, as that can be annoying and stressful with someone who may not have ever worked in an environment like that...

K.I.S.S., is a good way to keep your head in the game while others may be losing it...

Just my opinion...

[Humanphibian]

BOB is always ready to go. 3-4 days worth of goods.

Bug out Truck remains in a "semi-ready" state at all times as well. 10 minutes, and she can be loaded w/ Smoke Poles, fishin poles, fuel and water cans, MRE's, and extended stay camping supplies.

Being in close proximity to Cheaper than Dirt, Cabelas, and Bass Pro does have it's advantages

[Liberty]

Cell phones are kaput! Rita taught us that...We kept them on and on-charge just in case...But they are just about useless...

Cheap two-ways are the way to go if you are in a multiple vehicle convoy...That way you don't necessarily have to stay on someones bumper if you are evacuating together...

...

While voice over cell phones communication was Kaput, I was successfull in getting out some critical text messages out during the Rita evac. while the voice was impossible.