This is the final installment of our 5-part series on disaster preparedness. Check out yesterday’s post to get caught up.
What we’ve covered:
- Why you and your family need a disaster plan
- The difference between staying grounded or fleeing in the event of a major disaster
- How to assemble the supplies you’ll need should you have to leave your home
- How to choose the location you’ll be occupying
Bug out bag
You can start building your bug out bag at any time, and you don’t need to do it all at once. Start with the appropriate pack, and add necessary supplies when you can. Many of the supplies recommended for a bug out bag can be purchased at a military surplus store or online. However, since major disasters are difficult to predict, don’t wait too long between additions, as you’ll need practice.
Planning
You should practice your plan at least weekly at first, in order to establish the points of reference that are supposed to be difficult to notice for a reason. If your vehicle is part of your bug out plan, make sure you always have at least a half tank of fuel in daily use, and a backup container of fuel somewhere easily accessible and at your bug out location.
Staying the night in your bug out location will be crucial to your ability to handle it once a major disaster happens. Practice building your shelter in more than one way so you will not be thrown if environmental factors prevent this method. Building and starting fires in several ways should be an integral part of your practice bug outs. You can’t assume that all the knowledge you’ve read and watched will suddenly turn practical in the field.
If bugging out is your plan, start enacting your plan today! While there is no way to tell whether you will remain safe in the event of a disaster, having a disaster preparedness plan will put you far above those who don’t have one in terms of having an idea of what to do. Everyone should have a bug out plan — share this series and help those you care about be prepared!
Featured Image from Marc Szeglat/Unsplash
