This might be a different way of looking at the problem than some of us are used to. In most cases you start to do research on what this situation calls for and people will give you a long list of items you are supposed to pack in order to survive. As you will see the bag I will be using for this post is not really full of items in fact some might say it is short a lot of items. Remember what the bag is for, getting home.
What is our first priority when getting home, speed? If we are carrying twenty to thirty pounds of supplies on our backs we are not going to be able to move very fast. Being honest for a moment how many of us have carried this type of weight on our backs recently? I would wager few and if you have done it recently I Hope you are agreeing with me on weight slowing you down.
Each bag needs to be personalized to the person and the situation they could be faced with. In this case the bag was put together for;
1) A women over the legal drinking age ………. We’ll leave it at that, I like sleeping in the house!!
2) Good looking but not a marathon runner……….
3) Needs to travel about 33 miles from work to home. MapQuest says this trip can be made in 12 hours and 1 minute walking. For our purposes this translates into a trip of around 3 days at 10 miles a day. Sure folks can move faster than this but we want to plan for the worst and hope for the best!!!!
4) In an absolute worst case scenario she is caught in this situation with two children, one in kindergarten and one a toddler.
Obviously we do not want to weight her down with 20 pounds of gear she may or may not “need”. We should define what “Need” is at this point. “Need” in this case is only items which can get you home. We do not need her to carry around a shovel to dig ‘cat holes’ with but we should make sure she has some TP to take of that situation with! We do not “Need” her to pack a tent and sleeping bag but we should make sure she has something she can use to separate herself from the elements.
The most expensive part of putting something together in most cases is the bag. Before you go out and buy a bag look around the house and try to repurpose a bag. This can be anything you can store and carry stuff in. This does not even have to be a backpack, if nothing else take some grocery bags double them up and put some stuff in!!!! If you are going to buy a bag keep in mind what the bag is for. You do not need to buy the latest high speed, tactical, super cool, bug out to the woods and live like a mountain man bag!!! You need something which is going to get you home from the furthest distance you usually travel.
Any type of bag can work. The green one in the photo was the bag I used the first time I put stuff together. In the following photos I will show what is in the bag which lives in the back of her car right now today. I took it out and took these pictures.
Nothing fancy, just a plain black bag. Given her training and life experience we do not want her walking home with some “Tactical Cool” bag which will either scream “I got supplies you might need come get them!” or “I am a navy SEAL/Ranger/Jason Bourne type and I am a threat to you!”. We want her to blend in and just be ignored on the walk home!
In the outside pocket tools she can hang around her neck or put in her pocket. We cover signaling and tools with what is attached to the string. Inside of the Ziplock we add shelter with a emergency blanket, being able to move with a dust mask and a book of information which could come in handy.
Pocket in from there we got some motivation!!! Hard candies last a long time.
Next pocket covers shelter, sanitation, lighting, water purification and minor first aid. The iodine can be used to purify water and first aid, note the directions to purify water are written on the iodine.
Next pocket covers virus issue with a better mask (the other one can be used or given to someone else), minor medical issues, tool to cover issues the other tools might not cover, gloves to help make your way through rubble or add warmth and a solar charging system which comes with a light and can be used to keep flashlights working.
Close u[p of the solar charger. I highly recommend these!!!
In the main pocket we cover basic food stuff, cooking, transporting water, an advanced water purifying system, advanced first aid and added shelter.
We also cover clothing in the main pocket with some extra socks, shirt, pants and some thermal bottoms carried in a waterproof bag.
The first aid kit carried in the bag is also personalized to what the training of the person carrying the bag. There are items to take care of everything from a sprained ankle to a major cut. What is not included is a surgical kit, IV kit or other items the carrier would not know how to use!!!!
Sure I can upgrade what is in the bag! The idea was to give her items right now!! Not after the next pay check or I get my taxes back, but right now!!! A lot of stuff in the bag has been repurposed from stuff I took out of my bag and items which were around the house. Having something today is better than getting cuaght short when you need something!!!! If she takes what is in the bag, combines it with what she has in her purse, baby bag and resources around her she should be able to put together what she needs to get home.
Couple items I did not take photos of, tennis shoes, the fire starting kit inside of the cooking kit and the googles which I could not find!!!!! Someone is in trouble!!!!
As always,
Stay Safe!!!
