Do You Have a BOB?

No, I don't mean the Posh Spice haircut or a husband named Robert.  I mean a Bug Out Bag - or a GOOD bag - Get Out Of Dodge.  The term originated from the military and law enforcement world.  However their "bail-out-bags" were more for entering an emergency than leaving one.

My local Office of Emergency Management suggests you have one.  So does FEMA and the Red Cross.  And you guessed it - so do I!  It's a bag that has about 72 hours worth of basic survival gear.  In the event of an emergency that forces you to leave your home you may not have time to gather the essentials.  Or one would come in very handy if you are stranded with your vehicle for an extended amount of time.

An easy way to go about this is to grab an old backpack (if you have school age children then I know you have an old backpack somewhere) and stock it with some supplies.  A good idea is to then keep your BOB in your car.  

A typical Bug Out Bag would consist of:

• food
• water
• first aid kit
• flashlight
• medications 
• items for special needs family members - infant? pet? diabetic? 
• personal info (contact numbers for out of area friends/relatives)
• some sort of tarp or tent
• extra clothing

A lot of survivalist types won't find this list to be exhaustive enough.  Many would include water purification tablets, maps, compasses, a knife and zombie repellent.  I personally think it's a good idea to include a pair of socks and comfy shoes in your bag.  My footwear is sometimes not that....well.... practical.  If I needed to walk a few miles or more I'd like a pair of Nikes.

Now I know what you may be thinking - will I ever actually need a BOB???  Yeah, maybe not, but it's like having insurance - cheap insurance at that.  You may never need it, but boy are you happy to have it if you do.  

Shelf Reliance has emergency bag and kits available.  They have anywhere from really basic kits to super snazzy, deluxe kits as well as individual items so you can customize your kit.  I think they are a MUST have for avid hikers, campers and hunters.  Every year in dispatch there are calls of missing hikers and hunters.  Cars break down, people get lost, disoriented by weather, roads are impassable, etc.  Because we have a GREAT back country rescue team in our county we almost always find the lost, but all are hungry, most are cold and wet and sometimes tragedy strikes.  A lightweight bag containing survival gear could literally be the difference between life and death for someone that spends a lot of time in remote areas.  Consider getting an emergency bag as a Christmas gift for the outdoors men in your life.  Click here to shop.  I also suggest a local sporting goods store.  Here in Cd'A I recommend The Black Sheep.  They also have a good selection to choose from.  

My hope is that everyone starts working on having their very own BOB.