This blog is intended to address topics about Emergency Preparedness for you and your family…
“Bugging Out” is a term used in the survival community to describe loading your food, water and gear into your car in the event of an emergency and heading for the hills. In some cases, this is the only possible tactic if your home is for some reason no longer safe to inhabit (hurricane coming, nuclear attack nearby, rioting, etc)
So, “Bugging In” is staying home and waiting for the emergency to pass by. Most families who are not survivalists are going to be better off in a well-stocked home ready for the emergency than with what they can carry in their car or truck as they head out away from home…
I have been thinking about and studying what it would take in the event of an emergency for your typical suburban family to survive until the electricity, gas and water are turned back on and the grocery stores are restocked and open.
Most people I know are not in as good of a position to comfortably survive an earthquake, ice storm, etc let alone a financial collapse or a terrorist/war event. In some cases, it could take months or even years for things to return to “normal”…
There are many survival blogs that talk about rural retreats and burying supplies in “caches” and these are great advanced topics but I wanted to address in this blog the average family living in their subdivision who wants to be as Prepared as a Boy Scout to face a bad situation. That is what I am going to discuss in this blog. I am learning this information as I go and I will share resources as I find them that I think might help you to prepare…
I have a number of friends and associates who are experts in various aspects of preparedness and survival and they will join us from time to time.
I hope you will join me on this adventure…
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the concept, since in any sort of emergency “Bugging Out” might not be an option, especially here in California. Earthquakes are an ever-present danger that gives no warning and therefore, not chance of “bugging out.”
I’m looking forward to your posts.
Steve Chambers
Business to Business Sales Training Expert
Being ready for a disaster I think is always in the back of someone mind. Getting the right information early is always better. Imagine something happening to your home and having to scramble to develop a plan but then realizing you don’t knowing what to do. I’m definitely looking forward to learning more from you blogs.
Jose Escalante
http://www.ChampionGreenEnergy.com
Nice to see someone writing survival tactics for disasters other than Zombies!
~Greg
Philanthropist-in-Training
Greg, I will cover Zombie Hunting Techniques in depth in later posts
Rob
Hey Rob,
Any idea why your gravatar/avatar shows up here and mine is a stupid little angry cartoon face? I signed up for a gravatar last time.
Lisa McLellan
Babysitting Services – Babysitters and Nannies
Cool! This sounds awesome! I look forward to learning more about this!
Health, Fitness — Darryl Pace
In North Carolina twice a year we would have storms take out power for 4+ days. Usually during finals . . . it was the first experience I had with thinking about emergency prep for my home. It was also pretty absurd since I lived next to the teaching hospital at the University of North Carolina. You’d think they’d have a better system.
Expanding spheres of influence,
Kate
The storm that knocks out power is the simplest emergency to be prepared for. We will discuss this at length in future posts…
I used to work at IBM in Research Triangle Park and we lived in extreme south Durham. My wife went her last year to UNC and we have many fond memories of Chapel Hill. I get there a lot in my job and I really love the area…
Rob
Now this I will find fascinating! I have been reading a lot about this myself and have been stock piling a bit of food, too. It is a timely subject.
Sunny Marie
websites and rhinestones
Sunny,
I agree that this is very much in the news right now. I want to talk to those of us who are not used to living in the country and being self-sufficient. there are steps that make sense and having a plan is so valuable…
Rob
I like the idea of knowing what actually makes sense to have in the house. I haven’t thought about it. Thanks!
Cleanse from the inside out, Katie
Rob,
I’m really psyched that you’re writing on this topic. I evacuated New Orleans in advance of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and I was more prepared than most. In retrospect, there are a lot more things I wish I would’ve done, though, and as you mention, oftentimes the greater challenge is t survive while staying put.
Can’t wait for what you have in store.
Craig
BlogProfitCenter.com
I think you experience with Katrina is a good basis point for the start of an emergency plan… I hope you will share more in the weeks and months ahead when it is relevant.
Thanks,
Rob
What great info to have in an emergency no matter where you live. I’ll be waiting for a list.
Vicki Hasemann http://www.bridalthreadshq.com
This is very interesting. I am very curious to hear what you have to say about survival in the home. Several years ago we lost power during a severe winter storm for 5 days. It was brutal. I was near tears. I wanted to stay with family or friends til the power was restored but my husband wouldn’t hear of it. I was babysitting a little five year old girl along with caring for my own baby, so we went to her house for the mornings. But, it was back to the cold dark house for the afternoon and night when her mom got home each day. That was terrible, and it was only 5 days.
Lisa McLellan
Babysitting Services – Babysitters and Nannies
Lisa, we take so much for granted. your personal experience with 5 days “off the grid” with no power is a good starting point to prepare for. Say seven days… I will be discussing planning for exactly this in the days ahead, and then extending it to longer and bigger threats requiring more preparation…
Rob
We need to have you come to North Dakota and do some survival training for us. Blizzards, floods, 40 below. Help.
Robert Martin
http://www.carbuyinghq.com
Robert,
I am from Minnesota originally so I know what you mean. I was a scout up there and winter tent camping was an eye-opener…
Rob
Maybe it’s a UK thing, or maybe it’s just me, but I’m just not worried about this sort of thing. Am I irresponsible (I do have a family)? Am I too trusting of life, the universe and everything?
I am curious though…
http://www.martin-wright.com
Martin,
I wouldn’t say you are irresponsible. Just read the blog for a little while and you can make an informed decision as to whether being even a little more prepared for an emergency situation might be a good idea. We all do depend on our electricity and our grocery stores very much…
Rob
This is a topic that requires more attention.
What a GREAT topic, yes, with having lived in California, aka Earthquake Country, and now Vegas where I NEVER leave without carrying with me about 95 oz of water. I’m serious. Because it IS serious there. If you have a car break down in the desert, waiting an hour or two for roadside help can put you into heat prostration.
Ahhhh, the 1989 Earthquake in San Francisco! Yes, I lived there. Yes we were without electricity for more than a day or something. And not gas for awhile. Ahhhh, cold bracing showers!
Because of the nature of earthquakes and power outages, I have my stuff in portables, not so much expecting to Bug Out as to be prepared to LIVE and get OUTTA the building which can have leaks.
Ooooo, will we be talking… ordinances, too? Like watching “The Day After,” having some personal protection when there might not be police about to come by to protect you, yours, and the supplies you have for your family….
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Single Baby Boomer Dating Success Expert