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

[nuparadigm]

This is just IMO, but I don't have a BOB. I carry a small BHB (Bug Home Bag) in my car's trunk at all times. People with rucks on their backs during a disaster are just future "refugees".

My opinion is that, rather than sinking two tons of money into gear I'd put into a backpack, I'd rather sink two tons of money into making my home as self-sufficient as possible. I can't say that my home is totally that way yet, but is is on the way in that direction.

There is a very serious group of people who feel as I do:
http://www.alpharubicon.com/index2.html .

It isn't my intention to denigrate the BOB movement; it's just that it isn't for me and mine.

[lrb111]

My opinion is that, rather than sinking two tons of money into gear I'd put into a backpack, I'd rather sink two tons of money into making my home as self-sufficient as possible. I can't say that my home is totally that way yet, but is is on the way in that direction.

There is a very serious group of people who feel as I do:
http://www.alpharubicon.com/index2.html .

It isn't my intention to denigrate the BOB movement; it's just that it isn't for me and mine.

There seems to be a whole lot on this board that are already "there" ie: will shelter in place. Many of us already live on acreage, and simply need good fences, secured shelter, and ammo. :-)

I'll check out the link. thanks.

[mr surveyor]

and those of us in "tornado alley", or in potentially flood prone areas may actually have to leave our personal compounds for a day or two...

[Liberty]

and those of us in "tornado alley", or in potentially flood prone areas may actually have to leave our personal compounds for a day or two...

It doesn't have to be an area wide disastor. A house fire, or a distant family member emergency. I've bugged out a few times in my life. most times the weather had nothing to do with it. Battening down the hatches and surviving in comfort at home under less than ideal conditions is important also.

[stevie_d_64]

This is just IMO, but I don't have a BOB. I carry a small BHB (Bug Home Bag) in my car's trunk at all times. People with rucks on their backs during a disaster are just future "refugees".

My opinion is that, rather than sinking two tons of money into gear I'd put into a backpack, I'd rather sink two tons of money into making my home as self-sufficient as possible. I can't say that my home is totally that way yet, but is is on the way in that direction.

There is a very serious group of people who feel as I do:
http://www.alpharubicon.com/index2.html .

It isn't my intention to denigrate the BOB movement; it's just that it isn't for me and mine.

I can see a lot of logic there...But since we live on the S.E. side of Houston, and our area is extremely prone to flooding...Not at all a fantastic situation to have to experience...And then have to deal with some of the transient activities and people who tend to hang around and gawk at our misery...

I have nothing accessible in my home that is worth stealing and cannot be replaced...

So we'd rather just bug out...Come back a few days later...

You must live on the high side of town???

[jimlongley]

I used to keep an over equipped BOB back before my first wife passed away. For some reason I just stopped. I still have all of the pieces except for the perishables stored away in different places, so it would take only a few minutes to assemble them.

I have a friend who keeps gold and silver as part of his bug out assemblage, he doesn't expect currency to be worth anything if a crunch comes.

Something to consider, if you pack water in your supplies, make sure you have some that is "designed" for long term storage. Ordinary tap water, even filtered tap water, can go bad in a few days under the worst conditions. "Emergency drinking water" usually canned and labelled as such, will last for years (I had cans of it from WWII and Korea in my landing party inventory, and it was still drinkable.) It may taste kind of funny, but it won't go bad.

[nuparadigm]

You must live on the high side of town???

Down 59 towards Kendleton.

[KBCraig]

This is just IMO, but I don't have a BOB. I carry a small BHB (Bug Home Bag) in my car's trunk at all times. People with rucks on their backs during a disaster are just future "refugees".

...

There is a very serious group of people who feel as I do:
http://www.alpharubicon.com/index2.html .

I understand the logic of that, and I think most here do also. But what's being talked about are the times when you have no choice but to relocate, because where you live is going to be uninhabitable for a while, or perhaps even cease to exist.

The very first page I clicked in the Alpha Rubicon site was this:

http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/backpackfever.htm

A selected quote from that page:
Let's back up a minute. Backpack fever--or bug-outosis--does makes sense when you're facing a localized disaster like a derailed train with overturned poisonous gas cars. A a potential nuclear meltdown, an impending hurricane, or similar disasters where there is a safe place to run to. During such a time, it makes perfect sense to retreat and come back when things settle down. Likewise, some people have to work in dangerous areas. For them, donning a backpack and heading for a retreat that they've prepared before hand is a viable survival strategy. These people aren't backpack survivalists.


The "home as fortress" approach would seem to work well in the case of a long-term societal meltdown. But most disasters are short term and local or regional, and the things that can't be carried in a BOB will continue to be available in the rest of the country.

Just think of all those Rubicon "team members" coming to a friend's aid after a tornado... I imagine they're all bringing something equivalent to a BOB, plus the food and water to be self sufficient in the short run.

Kevin

[ELB]

nuparadigm,

While I sympathize with wanting to "shelter in place" (Gov'ts term for when there ain't nowhere else to go), there are some events that will not respect your efforts.

I was stationed in Los Angeles for four years, lucky enough the live in the Santa Monica mountains, but it was like living in a full time emergency. I saw wildfires up close, and they completely demolished even stone and brick houses. Nothing left but the foundation.

Was in the North Ridge earthquake, and it did not respect houses either, no matter how sturdy. Add to that burning gas lines and busted water mains, amd a lot of people who barely get by when things are normal, you have a charming situation. Thank God that altho I was only a few miles from epicenter, I was in the mountains and not the city. Me and the cat had plenty of food and water on hand. Also thank God the weather was nice, instead of raining cats and dogs.

Speaking of which, mudslides too are no respector of your abode, same with floods. Saw that up close too, not good.

Texas is relatively peaceful compared to California, but even here, near San Antonio, I find out that if a Category 4 or 5 hurricane hits Houston/Galveston, we can expect truly vicious winds and rain -- more than my humble abode can stand.

And when the summer sun dries us out, wildfire problems (again!).

Also survey your area for non-ecological threats. One morning I started out to drive to base, and as I went south from my house I could smell chlorine. Flipped on radio, found out a train derailment had broken open a tank car. Chlorine gas killed several people in the immediate area; luckily I was far enough away, but it was still pretty close. I turned around, went home, called the boss to say I would be detained at home that day. Then I hitched up the horse trailer, crated all the small pets, and was ready to roll out with one ear glued to the radio and one eye on the TV. If you are near any transportation route any size (or say, a manufacturing facility that handles icky chemicals), you could find yourself dealing with a similar situation.

Shelter in place is best, if it is possible. Sometimes you don't get a choice.

Best.

elb

[nuparadigm]

KBC & ELB,
Thanks for the input. While it is true that my family has no BOB's and that we're strengthening our ability to SIP, I never said that, in case of total area wipe-out that we do not have an exact alternate and stocked location. We do, in fact, have one. We have a reciprocal arrangement with the family there just as they do with us. It is, however, close enough to where we do not require elaborate BOB's such as we had when we lived in San Diego, CA.

My comments about the BOB's envisioned something just short of a full CAT 5 hurricane hitting Palacious and rolling, unhindered, into Southwestern Fort Bend County. We're not even in the storm surge area for a CAT 5. But, if that were to happen, we'd certainly not SIP, but move to our alternate location sans BOB's.

I imagine that the best description of my philosophy of disaster preparedness is Bugging-In: our place in most forseeable circumstances; our friends' place in the unforseeable one.

Frank

[DSARGE]

Good subject. I used to work with a guy that kept one of those big rubbermade containers ready to go in his garage. He even had a place he and his family was going to go. They had a plan and performed drills in the house on the case of an invasion. He wasn't obsessed with it, just wanted to stay prepared. He got me thinking. I have a couple of panchos w/ liners (shelters and sleeping bags), MRE's, waterproof matches, cig lighter, flashlight, a couple of filet knives, a small saw, and garbage bags in the toolbox of my truck. I have a case of MRE's in the garage, and a weapon minutes away which can be easily grabbed on the way out. I usually don't let my truck get below 1/2 tank. I have a cell phone, but my truck is OnStar capable. I don't pay for it, but if I needed it, I can subscribe right then from my truck. If for some reason the truck can't be used, the stuff can be loaded in another vehicle in seconds. We'll load the dogs in the truck, and take the cats in case the MRE's run out. I should be fine until I run out of Copenhagen, then I'm giving up.

[stevie_d_64]

DSARGE...

I think yer good to go...

Can't help you with the Copenhagen though...Thats jus to nasty, sorry...

[TIN BENDER]

Cat r good!

[BamBam]

My Brother has one, I don't as of yet but I did add it to my "Stuf to do before Hurricane season"

Buggin out in Spring... The next hurricane ya'll can come down here and help us bug out of Alvin. We will come to Spring to stay!!! LOL

[DSARGE]

Something I forgot was some type of water purification--either tablets or a filter pump. Dehydration will probably be the first enemy you encounter.