How to create an evacuation kit
Imagine that a natural disaster has just struck. It may have been an earthquake or flood but you are now forced to evacuate and leave your home on foot. What would you take with you? There are numerous web sites devoted to evacuation and survival. However we intend to separate fact from fantasy so that you are prepared if a disaster strikes. Listed here are all the items you will need to take with you in the event of an evacuation. This is often called a Bug out Bag or BoB for short.
Documentation
If you are forced to evacuate then assume that you will not be coming back. You need to take all relevant documentation with you. This includes:
- birth certificates
- marriage certificates
- insurance documentation
- deeds to the house
- contact list of family members and friends
- maps
Personal items
The only things you need are a bar of soap, a face cloth, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Anything else is a luxury that you don't need. As an example some survival sites recommend taking a toothbrush and toothpaste. All I can say is that if a natural disaster occurred the last thing you would be worried about would be brushing your teeth. One other thing you can take is a CD or USB stick containing all of your personal information and photographs as these are often irreplaceable.
Clothes
You will need to take a complete change of clothes. The last thing you want to happen is to be soaked to the skin with no way to dry off. In addition I also recommend the following items:
- gloves
- hat
- lightweight waterproof poncho
- jacket
- good walking shoes
Camping items
If you decide against taking a sleeping bag then at least take an emergency blanket. Water proof matches and a pocket knife are small enough to justify their place in your evacuation bag. There is no need to bring a tent as a small tarp and some cord will suffice. The last thing you want is to be lugging large amounts of camping equipment around. A small flashlight and a battery powered radio will also be invaluable.
Food (and related items)
A lot of survival sites recommend taking gas cookers, freeze dried meals and even fishing lines. What you really need are protein bars. They are compact and don't require heating or added water. They can be consumed on the go and will provide the energy and nutritional supplements you need for the short term (a few days). Just remember this is not a camping trip. You will move fast and will get out of the disaster zone quicker if you are not weighed down with equipment and having to worry about cooking dinner. A full bottle of water and water purification tablets are also vital.
Medical supplies
This is what I recommend at the very least in terms of medical supplies:
- latex gloves
- sterile dressings
- antibiotic ointment
- aspirin
- burn ointment
- adhesive bandages
- scissors
- your prescription medications
This is one of the few things that I recommend not skimping on. There are any number of injuries that you could sustain and having a small well stocked first aid kit could be vital to your survival. Just remember that it isn't an episode or E.R. and you're not a qualified doctor.
Weapons
A lot of web sites promote the idea that in a survival situation you should stock up on guns and ammunition. Even for simply protection it would make sense to carry at least one hand gun wouldn't it?
So what should you take? The answer is nothing. Weapons give you a false sense of security and are more likely to get you into trouble then out of it. The whole purpose of evacuating is to reach safety as quickly as possible therefore you should be avoiding areas that are likely to require a handgun. You may also have a hard time explaining to any police or military personnel why you are carrying a weapon. If a situation arises that someone wants to rob you would you rather let them take your supplies or get into a gun battle with them?
Cash
How much cash you decide to carry is up to you. Just remember that debit cards and credits cards are unlikely to be viable methods of payment in any disaster situation. I recommend taking both a mixture of notes and coins.
Final list
Here is the final list of all items that you will need to evacuate with. Note that some items such as documentation and your spare change of clothes should be kept in waterproof plastic bags.
- sturdy pack
- documentation
- maps
- CD/USB stick with personal information & photos
- soap
- face cloth
- toilet paper
- hand sanitizer
- change of clothes
- gloves
- hat
- lightweight waterproof poncho
- jacket
- good walking shoes
- sleeping bag or emergency blanket
- water proof matches
- pocket knife
- tarp and cord
- small flashlight
- battery powered radio
- protein bars
- water
- water purification tablets
- first aid kit
- cash (notes and coins)
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