Check your survival gear

[Wizard]

I keep a survival bag in both my wife's and my car but hadn't checked them in over 3 years. Several items need replacement. Water purification tablets and medicine have fairly short time limits for use. Any short use foods should be checked. Check any ammunition for corrosion (every round). Water purification straws have filters that can go bad. I keep a back pack on an A frame as my main storage. I have a "bug out" bag consisting of a web belt, M-14 magazine pouches for small item storage and assorted knives, saws, tomahawk, etc. hanging from the belt. I also checked the items on the web belt. With changing climate, gangs, crime and hostile nations, you need to keep everything up to date and ready for use.

[Pacific NW Ron]

Good reminder.  We keep a small one in each car and a bigger one in the house.  Since we are in the flood plane and on a fault line we get reminded to check them often.  It's something a lot of people don't even have.
Ron

[flowerjohn]

What would pull the trigger in your mind to bug out? I often wonder what would trigger the evacuation and how useful the attempt would be given a variety of scenarios.


Message sent via the FC Network.

[Bud Kennedy]

Here on the coast it is common practice to keep an evac kit. Truth is when a hurricane is coming you have to wait for a bit to see where that rascal is going.  You don't want to leave town and run directly into the patch of the darn thing.  For the most part the storms come up along the coast and slam into the outer banks of NC only grazing us.  But like Matthew of last October the weather guess got it totally wrong and the eye passed directly over out area creating a lot of rain then followed by heavy wind after the eye passed.  Common route plan for us is to head towards the upstate of SC.  If the storm is catastrophic then we would have to judge if we should keep going north and inland to Georgia or Tennessee.  Since you don't know you have to have an evac kit ready for a long stay.  If a storm hits florida first and causes an evac there then our route out of town will be slow and you should expect to have to travel a longer distance if you plan on finding lodging.  Evac kit also includes canned products for emergency rations.

[Wizard]

I always had a small bag when I worked out-country. Just enough to get me out of harm's way and survive 24 hrs. Having a back pack allows for more luxury. We were trained that in almost any emergency, if you could survive the first 24 hours, you will probably be all right. Some triggers causing me to leave my area: earthquake, riots (don't laugh! you don't live here), power outages, fire, etc.. All the normal situations. Real threat of nuclear war and the wife and family would go to a survival point in the Ozark Mountains.

[flowerjohn]

The reason I ask that Wizard is because I have had 2 occasions to get out both of them because of massive power outages. For me the critical ingredient is fuel to get to where I need to be and keeping that and rotating it around is something to pay attention to. I think that where I am if we got nuked I wouldn't be able to get far enough away. The key is to be proactive and not wait around for what others will be telling you as the shit hits the fan. By then its likely too late. There's lots to think about on this topic and people would do well to think on it.


Message sent via the FC Network.

[Bud Kennedy]

I always had a small bag when I worked out-country. Just enough to get me out of harm's way and survive 24 hrs. Having a back pack allows for more luxury. We were trained that in almost any emergency, if you could survive the first 24 hours, you will probably be all right. Some triggers causing me to leave my area: earthquake, riots (don't laugh! you don't live here), power outages, fire, etc.. All the normal situations. Real threat of nuclear war and the wife and family would go to a survival point in the Ozark Mountains.

Years ago on out of country assignments, a gets away bag was required.  Thank goodness I never needed it but was something we had to have.  I guess it went along with the spare passport.  LOL

[Wizard]

You only had one spare passport?

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Also bear in mind that not only do some things have a shelf life, but keeping them in a vehicle can greatly reduce that shelf life.

My "Get Out Of Dodge" scenario is not a completely known variable. Few things can cause an evacuation for me. Not in tornado or hurricane paths, not in wildfire paths, not in a flood prone area.
So the reason my scenario is not completely known is because of people.
Luckily, I also live about 25 miles from Monroe, the nearest large population center. And although I do live right on a state highway, it's a mostly a scenic highway connecting one backwater town to another and is mostly only traveled by local traffic.

[Bud Kennedy]

You only had one spare passport?

Yep only one spare at a time. Ours were diplomatic so I had a U.S. and a Canadian in my possession but was given others on an as needed basis depending upon region being visited.  Those were not diplomatic and have to remain unnamed even after all these years. Upon return to the US we only got to keep the U.S. passport the others were kept by the security office.

[Wizard]

I needed more than that, Bud. It's hard being a legend. Now I can't even leave the country.

[Bud Kennedy]

Some folks had additional Diplomatic but they had to have language skills.  I am lucky to only speak American English.  We all learned to travel everywhere without saying a word.  It was kind of a badge of honor or some would say a game.  Fair skin, blond,blue did not give me a large selection.  Mostly German, Dutch, Irish 

[Wizard]

No problem, Bud. A little almond extract rubbed on your body and you can easily pass for an arab. I teach you enough Russian to order vodka and buy drinks----everybody will love you. Once the vodka flows, no one can speak well enough to be understood anyway. You could live there for years on just those few phrases. lol