Photo by Eriks Cistovs on Unsplash
Do you have a Bug-Out Bag for when disaster strikes? Or a “stay-in-place” for three days – the things in the backpack are the same either way usually.
My area is hurricane season (June to November with the focus August to October). Further North could be a snow or ice event. Out West fires. Recently for Hawaii, volcanoes. Also on the list are man-made issues with nuclear plants and riots. Recently in North Carolina, some eejit decided to disable the electric grid for Moore County by shooting it up right before a cold snap in early December, leaving forty-five thousand people without power for nearly a week in border-line freezing temperatures. Christmas shopping was shelved for survival spending – the entire county businesses had a devastating hit right before their biggest money making of the year, and all those people expecting overtime instead scrambled to find a shelter not filled to capacity.
Anyway, Liana Brooks put together a basic checklist for a 72-Hour Kit (basically the three days it takes relief organizations to mobilize). Whether shelter-in-place or getting the heck-out-of-Dodge, X-scape is the key (okay, not the perfect X for A-to-Z, but still important).
“72-Hour Checklist” by Liana Brooks (9/11/2018) – (spelled out URL: http://www.lianabrooks.com/72-hour-checklist/?fbclid=IwAR3aoCd6fjz3n29BWrJwv65oTBEQRluS3Wpvs3BOkgRiZhEk5VQrH6zkhL4) – Last viewed 12/13/2022 – note that the site is HTTP, not HTTPS (secure).)
Other helpful sites and lists:
https://www.bugoutbagbuilder.com/learning-tutorials/bug-out-bag (Bug Out Bag Builder . com)
WRITING EXERCISE: Okay, not really writing this time, but still essential. Make your WUSH kit (Wake Up, Stuff’s Happening) for by your bed. As a writer, I really like the suggestion by the Bug Out Bag Builder to keep your USB backup drive there. Yes, I will still be freaked out about losing my computer to a fire, but I won’t have lost everything.
This is the minimal kit – just grab and go to escape a fire or other house disaster. Store it by your night stand or under the bed, so you can wake and get outside in seconds. This go-bag is small; it should sling over the shoulder like a purse to keep the arms free to grab the children and pets.
May you never need it and may you have it if you do need it.
A) Wallet and Cell Phone – either store them in the bag at night or set things up so they are easily sweep into the bag in an emergency. Store an extra phone charger for your phone in the bag.
B) Keys – one for the house and one for the car. These are the extra keys and should live in the bag. Don’t waste time looking for keys – these should be there.
C) USB backup drive – As a writer/creative, you should be backing up your computer at least monthly. Store the backup in the WUSH bag. Digital copies of the following should be in a fire: Driver’s License, Passport, Marriage License and Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, Deed for House and Car, Insurance Polices for House and Car, Health insurance info, Credit cards (front and back – so you can call the issuer if they get destroyed).
Bonus storage for family photos, phone numbers (in case the phone is lost), and other things you don’t want to live without.
(Set a calendar alert on your phone or computer to remind you to backup the computer once a month.)
Store the backup drive in a ziplock bag in case of wet.
D) Physical copies of: Passport (if you don’t carry it daily), Marriage License and Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, Deed for House and Car, Insurance Polices for House and Car, Health Insurance info, Physical print off of copies of both sides credit cards and driver’s license (so you don’t have to find a computer for the USB backup), blank checks (if you have them), printoff of phone numbers and addresses of family, friends, and neighbors emergency contacts.
Plus some extra cash. A mix of small and large bills, enough to get a single meal and pay for overnight stay in a hotel.
E) Medications and prescription glasses – Remember to rotate the prescription medications. Keep three days in the WUSH bag, the full bug-out kit should have another four days for a total of seven days between them. For the glasses, when you get a new pair, the old pair goes in the bag. They won’t be the best, but at least the old glasses are better than nothing.
F) Flashlight – because 50% of the time, disaster will strike during night hours.
G) Food – Just one or two snack bars, especially if you have kids. Not much though, so you don’t attract ants to your bedroom.
H) Small first aid kit – a couple Band-Aids, nail clippers, and some tweezers will do. One mensuration pad (doubles as a big bandage). Don’t go nuts, this is a small kit.
Now that you have the WUSH, set aside time to put together a full go-bag as well. Remember to rotate stock in both regularly – maybe set a calendar reminder like that USB backup.
