This is a post from my Website    The Practical Pitstop

Life is unpredictable.  Your number one preparedness tool is The Ability to Adapt.  This comes from knowledge, skill, tools, confidence, and previous experiences.  Go with the situation and don’t fight it.  Change is scary so preparing for it makes the transition easier.

I’m reminded of a quote I read.  I don’t remember the source but it goes something like this:  “You only truly own what you can carry on your person at a dead run”.  So look at your life.  Look around your house, work, etc.  What are the things you have and use on a regular basis?  What are luxuries?  What can you live without?  What do you truly need to survive?  Your preparedness gear will be a scaled down version that will temporarily replace the status quo.

Preparedness is broken down into Actions and Gear.  Let’s start with Actions:

• Decide on what are the most likely scenarios that may affect you.  The Midwest has tornados, flooding, and cold weather.  The East Coast has terrorism, bad weather, and hurricanes.  California has wild fires and earthquakes.  The DRC has Ebola.  Venezuela has martial law.  The economy affects everyone.  You could lose your job.  House fires happen all the time.  Crime is ever present.  Tsunamis are devastating.  That super volcano might blow.  Zombies might be real.
• Make a Plan.  Follow said plan.  I have emergency Get Home Bags in mine and my wife’s vehicle.  In each one there is a notebook of information.  This plan directs us on what to do in a major emergency:  We both try to reach the kids at school and daycare.   A message will be left there by whoever arrives first for the other one of us.  Then we meet at home.  If home is compromised, alternate locations are listed.  We have backup 2-way radio communications if cell phones don’t work.  Paper maps are at hand.  Our emergency bags have food, water, warmth, light, comms, tools, diapers, etc. for multiple people to survive a couple of days.
• Decide if you will need to Bug In (shelter in place at home) or Bug Out (go to another safe location somewhere else) depending on circumstances.
• Remain calm.  Trust your instincts.

Now let’s look at some basic Supplies you need if you plan on staying home:

• 2 week’s supply of non-perishable food and water for each person.  This includes formula, baby food, and pet food.  Don’t expect your refrigerator to keep food cool long without power.  Keep crushed ice in your freezer…it will keep it cold longer if power does go out and then you can put it in coolers for food or to keep medication cold like insulin or children’s antibiotics. Include a portable water filter.  Also fill all available containers with water at the first sign of trouble.
• Cooking supplies:  pots, pans and a white gas, butane, or propane stove, dish soap, manual can opener, plasticware.
• Warm clothing, sleeping bags, blankets.
• Plastic and duct tape to seal windows or doors in the event of a biological or nuclear dispersement.  A wrench to shut off gas and water.
• Flashlights, AM/FM radio, and extra batteries.  Solar USB power pack.  Car charger for your cell phone.  Portable generator and fuel…remember, they will attract attention.
• Candles, lighters, matches, and a fire extinguisher.
• Portable propane or kerosene heater with oxygen depletion and tip over sensors.
• First aid kit, medications, extra eyeglasses.  N95 masks.
• Hygiene items.  Toilet paper.  Trash bags.  Bleach.
• Entertainment for the children like games, books, photo albums.
• Bike or football helmets if you live in an earthquake or tornado region.
• Self-defense items.  2-way radios.  Whistles.

Always be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.  What if the Shit Hits The Fan (SHTF) for real?  Soldiers may be going door to door.  Riots and looters may be in the streets.  Is nuclear fallout heading your way?  What if the levee doesn’t hold?

Then you need to Bug Out.

Once you leave your home in search of safety, you become a refugee.  You are now basically camping out of your vehicle or on foot.  If the unfortunate event affects just you then a hotel is an option.  If it is more widespread and affecting everyone then you’re on your own.

Your needed supplies are similar to the at home supplies just in a portable package.  Now you’ll use backpacking stoves, LED lights, a tent, and sleeping bags.  Totes or backpacks from here on out. 

I can’t begin to cover all the possible disaster scenarios or gear needed.  This is just a very basic guide.  Do your own research.  FEMA, Red Cross, and other government agencies provide pamphlets and PDF downloads for this.  Just remember to cover your basic needs:  Food – Water – Shelter – Security – Health – Communications.

Here is my list of the most basic personal items one might need to face most any emergency:

• Handgun and extra ammo if legal in your area.  A Glock 19 or S&W 642 comes to mind.  Get your concealed carry permit.  Use a holster.
• A knife like the Buck 110 or 119…also if legal in your area.  A multi-tool is a great supplement to the knife.
• Ballistic sun/safety glasses.
• N95 face mask.
• Cordage.
• Paper maps and a compass.
• Fire starter.  I carry a ferrocerium rod with striker and multiple BIC lighters.
• Water filter.  I like the Sawyer Mini.
• Water bottle with a nesting cup.  I prefer a stainless steel one.  It must be non-insulated so water can be boiled in it.  Nalgene and Kleen Kanteen make nice ones.  Going with a stainless steel bottle over a plastic one gives you 2 containers to boil water in.
• 2 contractor’s trash bags.  These are huge and strong.  Holes can be cut in them for a poncho or split to make a shelter.
• A flashlight and extra batteries.  The Streamlight 1L-1AA is absolutely the best.  It is waterproof, has high-low-strobe modes, and runs on either a single CR123, AA, or AAA battery.  The Petzl Tikka is a great headlamp.
• A hat, gloves, and a bandana.
• 2-way radio if you have someone to talk to and an AM/FM portable radio with NOAA weather.
• First aid kit that includes an Israeli bandage and any personal meds.  The Israeli bandage is for severe lacerations or a gunshot wound.
• Non-perishable food that requires little or no preparation & water.  Include a silcock key and P38 can opener.
• Insect repellant, sun screen, and chapstick.
• $500 cash in small denominations and legal documents on a thumb drive.  Pictures of your family to hand out if any of them go missing.  Notepad, pen, and sharpie marker.
• Emergency bivy sack and a mosquito head net.
• Signal mirror, whistle, compact binoculars, cell phone car and home chargers, USB solar power pack, and a handcuff key.
• 1 extra pair of socks and underwear.

All of this will fit in a small daypack.  Keep it by your bed so you can grab it quickly.  Rotate the stocks.  It will give you the most basic supplies to stay alive in most situations.  Keep a sleeping bag, tent, more food, more water, and backpacking stove in your car.  The key is not to be weighed down and stay mobile. 

Good luck!