Be Prepared: Following my Boy Scout come the apocalypse
As I mentioned in our shed organizing post, we are big into emergency preparedness, but totally at a beginning stage of implementation.
We have three frame-packs, and realistically I'm not interested in doing any recreational hiking that requires sleeping farther than 20 feet from my car (I have an air mattress to blow up, after all). One pack will be pre-prepped with some basic gear for a day hike, since we will only need one (not one each).
The first part of our emergency preparedness plan is to get us each a fully-loaded frame-pack bug-out bag. Not set up so that one has the food and one has the first aid kit, but both will be individually ready for one person to bug out of town on foot or in case we get separated (mine will have the tent which I already know how to set up by myself, Mr. Moon is more capable of building himself a shelter of tarps if necessary). I arranged things in the shed in such a way that we can get three fully-loaded frame packs stored on these shelves, with everything else not moving. Of course, in order to pack these bags we actually NEED some of the stuff stored elsewhere, so we will still wind up with some extra space to spread out and get some more bug-out gear as necessary.
We also have two rolling suitcases designed for bug-out bags, the handles of which can be easily tied onto the bottom bar of a frame-pack and dragged behind hands-free. These will hold, first and foremost, additional canned goods and water bottles which are HEAVY, so we will appreciate the ground accommodating some of the weight. Long-term plan, I'd like to get a trailer to attach to one or both of the bikes for holding two rolling suitcases and two frame bags, in case cars are not available come the apocalypse.
So, our emergency preparedness plan also includes pre-packing a bit for camping trips, to make spontaneous camping easier. Each bag will have an inventory list right on top when you open it, also stored in a folder on my computer so that I don't need to head out to the shed every time I start a camping packing list. Complete with purchase/expiration dates on anything perishable.
How do we deal with perishables?
The important thing is to pack foods you will eat. First in, First out. Food safety motto. In an ideal world, things like canned beans and tomatoes have a cycle of locations: Purchase at store, unpack into garage; eat out of kitchen stores, which when empty get re-stocked from bug-out-bags which get re-stocked from garage food.
Similarly with bottled water, but we don't DRINK bottled water. So we do not intend to stock up on additional bottled water which takes up space, but instead to buy water purification devices and chemicals for a more endless water supply (which given our location and plans need to include a way to make an endless supply of salt water drinkable). Bug out bags are prepared for 72-hours of survival, and will include these and a few bottles totaling about 1/2 gallon of water per day per person (1 gallon per day includes washing and cooking, this is just drinking water). Past that 72 hours we can acquire more water and make it potable.
Don't forget, your first aid kit is perishable too! Adhesives melt and medicines become more useless stored in the heat of a shed, so the first aid kits here will be fairly small and hold the newest purchases. We have a buggable first aid kit in the house packed and ready to go which the bags will restock as needed. And of course, we have a "kit" that is in a few places in the house, which when we run out of things we tend to reach for the buggable kit. So, new stuff --> Frame packs --> Buggable bag inside --> household drawers and such. Ensures that if something is expired, we find it first when trying to use it inside and not when potentially dying of a septic wound in the woods.
What do we need next:
That is our first step in being prepared for an emergency, making the bug-out bags. We have a friend who sales boats, and come the apocalypse we are planning to meet him at a pre-determined location to sail out to sea for a while until, hopefully, the chaos dies down and we can return to land for supplies and repopulating the earth. Given how many zombie/cannibalism stories have hit the news in the last week, bug-out bags are a priority this week. Juuuuuust in case.
--------------------
Do you have an EmerPrep plan? How prepared do you feel? What are you working on next with it? What do you think of these "zombie" stories hitting the news the last week or so?
We have three frame-packs, and realistically I'm not interested in doing any recreational hiking that requires sleeping farther than 20 feet from my car (I have an air mattress to blow up, after all). One pack will be pre-prepped with some basic gear for a day hike, since we will only need one (not one each).
The first part of our emergency preparedness plan is to get us each a fully-loaded frame-pack bug-out bag. Not set up so that one has the food and one has the first aid kit, but both will be individually ready for one person to bug out of town on foot or in case we get separated (mine will have the tent which I already know how to set up by myself, Mr. Moon is more capable of building himself a shelter of tarps if necessary). I arranged things in the shed in such a way that we can get three fully-loaded frame packs stored on these shelves, with everything else not moving. Of course, in order to pack these bags we actually NEED some of the stuff stored elsewhere, so we will still wind up with some extra space to spread out and get some more bug-out gear as necessary.
We also have two rolling suitcases designed for bug-out bags, the handles of which can be easily tied onto the bottom bar of a frame-pack and dragged behind hands-free. These will hold, first and foremost, additional canned goods and water bottles which are HEAVY, so we will appreciate the ground accommodating some of the weight. Long-term plan, I'd like to get a trailer to attach to one or both of the bikes for holding two rolling suitcases and two frame bags, in case cars are not available come the apocalypse.
So, our emergency preparedness plan also includes pre-packing a bit for camping trips, to make spontaneous camping easier. Each bag will have an inventory list right on top when you open it, also stored in a folder on my computer so that I don't need to head out to the shed every time I start a camping packing list. Complete with purchase/expiration dates on anything perishable.
How do we deal with perishables?
The important thing is to pack foods you will eat. First in, First out. Food safety motto. In an ideal world, things like canned beans and tomatoes have a cycle of locations: Purchase at store, unpack into garage; eat out of kitchen stores, which when empty get re-stocked from bug-out-bags which get re-stocked from garage food.
Similarly with bottled water, but we don't DRINK bottled water. So we do not intend to stock up on additional bottled water which takes up space, but instead to buy water purification devices and chemicals for a more endless water supply (which given our location and plans need to include a way to make an endless supply of salt water drinkable). Bug out bags are prepared for 72-hours of survival, and will include these and a few bottles totaling about 1/2 gallon of water per day per person (1 gallon per day includes washing and cooking, this is just drinking water). Past that 72 hours we can acquire more water and make it potable.
Don't forget, your first aid kit is perishable too! Adhesives melt and medicines become more useless stored in the heat of a shed, so the first aid kits here will be fairly small and hold the newest purchases. We have a buggable first aid kit in the house packed and ready to go which the bags will restock as needed. And of course, we have a "kit" that is in a few places in the house, which when we run out of things we tend to reach for the buggable kit. So, new stuff --> Frame packs --> Buggable bag inside --> household drawers and such. Ensures that if something is expired, we find it first when trying to use it inside and not when potentially dying of a septic wound in the woods.
What do we need next:
- A compass! Our phones have them, but I don't have a manual one anymore and Mr Moon's is broken.
- Water purification devices and chemicals.
- A set of Under Armor for each of us for packing in the bags (and using for camping).
- To pack the bags, write up a list of what's there and then start a list of additional purchases.
- A list of books that need to be acquired in the event of bugging out; things that will help us survive on the water, in the wilderness, feed and shelter our selves, and rebuild a society.
That is our first step in being prepared for an emergency, making the bug-out bags. We have a friend who sales boats, and come the apocalypse we are planning to meet him at a pre-determined location to sail out to sea for a while until, hopefully, the chaos dies down and we can return to land for supplies and repopulating the earth. Given how many zombie/cannibalism stories have hit the news in the last week, bug-out bags are a priority this week. Juuuuuust in case.
--------------------
Do you have an EmerPrep plan? How prepared do you feel? What are you working on next with it? What do you think of these "zombie" stories hitting the news the last week or so?
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