September--72 Hour Kits

This month is National Preparedness Month and our focus will be on 72-Hour Kits. Other items will be included along the way, but the main theme is what we will take when we have to evacuate or when we are waiting out an emergency at home. These kits are also called Grab-and-Go Kits and Bug-Out-Bags (BOBs).

Before we can consider what will be included in our kits, we need to make a plan. "Riverwalker" at Stealth Survival wrote: Survival Basics-The Disaster Book. He did not write a "book" but an excellent guide as to how we can write our own disaster plan.

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Survival Basics-The Disaster Book

"One of the main basics of survival involves planning. Having a plan and knowing what needs to be done when disaster strikes is crucial. There will be a great many decisions to be made when the worst happens and having a plan of action will help to minimize the stress that split second decisions can place on a person. More importantly, you will feel confident in your abilities to control the chaos that will arise when a man-made or natural disaster occurs and leaves you with very little time for critical decision making. Time is going to be critical to your survival and the survival of your family because no matter where you live, work or travel; everyone is subject to some form of natural or man-made disaster.

What is a disaster book? A disaster book is simply a plan of action for the different scenarios that can affect your survival. It will provide you with an outline of things to do, where to go or stay and what you will need to take with you or have on hand depending upon the type of threat you are facing. It doesn’t need to be very complicated but should contain some major components to aid you in the tough decisions that will have to be made when your survival is threatened. It will be your plan for survival.

What are the major components of a disaster book?

1.) Threat Assessment - The first and most important part of a disaster book is making a list of those threats which have an immediate or real possibility of affecting your survival at anytime. These threats could be anything from wildfires to earthquakes, tornadoes to hurricanes and flooding or civil unrest or a threat from failing infrastructure. These threats will be different for people depending upon where you live. You will need to do an assessment of these threats and develop your plan to set certain goals in place should one or more of these disasters happen. Know the threat!

2.) Risk Assessment - The next step is to make a decision and about whether you will be able to stay and tough things out at home or whether you may be forced to evacuate if the situation makes it impossible to stay at your present location. Making the decision ahead of time will save time that will be critical to your survival. Know the risk!

3.) Preparedness Evaluation - The final step is to make a list of what you will need depending upon the type of disaster and whether you will be toughing it out at home or have to evacuate to avoid the disaster. Make sure you know where you will be going if you have to bug out in a hurry. Deciding which direction to go at the last minute is not going to be very effective. Make sure that all family members are aware of where you are going and when you expect to be there. This will eliminate a lot of needless worry for everyone if a disaster strikes. If you decide to bug in and ride the storm out, you will need to make sure you have all the needed items for your survival and the survival of your family. Include the items you know that that are going to be needed and whether or not they are available or can be obtained. Know your needs!

This can all be done on a few simple pages and kept handy for easy reference when a disaster occurs. It can be as detailed or as simple as you care to make it. It may not even be the best plan but it is a plan. Plan to survive!"