Bugging Out

"Bugging out" means you're leaving your current location. If your home were to catch on fire or be in the path of raging wildfires as previously mentioned, you would immediately grab your family and start trying to get as far away as you needed to for full safety.

The best way to prepare for an immediate evacuation situation is to have key supplies packed and ready to grab. An excellent way to do this is to create a "bug out bag" for each member of your family. Creating a bug out bag and positioning it in a location where you can grab it as you're heading out the door saves valuable time in an emergency. You don't have to scramble around the house looking for clothing or important papers before you leave.

While you can create one general bug out bag to serve your entire family, it's safest to create one for each person. This way, if you are split up for any reason, everyone has immediate access to their own emergency supplies.

Opinions vary about what should be in a general bug out bag, and this is partly due to the difference in climate and circumstances everyone faces. Someone in California is more at risk of encountering a major earthquake for example, while someone in Florida faces hurricanes more often. A family in New York may have to worry about blizzard conditions while a family in Nevada has to contend with extreme heat and dehydration.

At a minimum, your bug out bags should have supplies for at least three days. Generally, supplies include clothing, food, water, basic medical and personal necessities, and copies of your important papers.

Since a bug out bag is rarely larger than a backpack, the emergency food supplies are usually light weight grab and go types of things such as protein bars, crackers, nuts and dried fruit. Focus on packing light-weight foods that provide high nutrition and energy just in case you find yourself having to walk a long way to find help, or struggle through debris.

Pack protective clothing such as long pants and long sleeve shirts in addition to light weight cooler clothing such as t-shirts. If you have to leave quickly during the heat of the summer the lighter clothing will be preferred if your arms and legs don't need protection, and if you're in a cold season the extra clothing can be layered to help protect you against the elements. Be sure to add a spare pair of socks and sturdy shoes to your bug out bag in case you have to walk a long distance.

Medical and personal necessities include basic band aids and alcohol wipes, sunscreen and lip balm, soap or hand sanitizer, feminine supplies and diapers.

Make copies of important papers such as your birth certificate, insurance information and emergency contact numbers and keep these copies in your bug out bag so you'll have them if they're needed. You might also want to consider stashing a small amount of cash in the bag just in case. If the emergency situation that causes you to leave quickly takes out the electricity in the immediate area, bank ATMs and automatic payment systems will not work, so you may be unable to purchase gasoline, food or other supplies without cash.

Make a list of the items you should have in your personal bug out bag. Feel free to add to the suggested items above and personalize the bag to your specific area, lifestyle and needs. Some people like to add flashlights and emergency radios to the list, while others feel a pocket knife or handgun would be more useful.

Keep weight and bulk in mind when planning your bug out bag. There is a limit to how much one person can carry and how far they can carry it. If you load your pack up with 100 pounds of stuff and then find yourself needing to hike 20 miles through the desert you may have a big problem.

Pack your bug out bag and put it in a place that will make it easy to grab as you head out the door. Don't bury it at the back of a fully loaded storage closet or stick it away in the crawlspace under the house. You need to be able to pick it up on your way out the door -- preferably without even breaking stride.

Review and update your bug out bag every six to 12 months. Rotate clothing according to seasons if need be, trade older food for fresh, and add or remove items if circumstances have changed.

Consider placing a second, general bug out bag into each vehicle you own. Having a general bug out bag in your vehicle will help if you find yourself out and about when an emergency strikes. If you're not able to go home to pick up your emergency bags, having something already in the car is a better alternative than having nothing at all.