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A Bug-Out Bag is a portable kit containing all of the items one would require to survive for seventy two hours after evacuating from a disaster. It is also known as a 72hr kit, emergency kit and disaster supplies kit. The focus on evacuation, rather than survival, distinguishes the bug-out bag from a survival kit.
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Rationale
The primary purpose of a Bug-out Bag (BOB) is to allow one to evacuate quickly if a disaster should strike. It is therefore prudent to gather all of the materials and supplies that might be required to do this into a single place, such as a bag or a few storage containers. The recommendation that a BOB should contain enough supplies for seventy two hours arises from advice from organizations responsible for disaster relief and management that it may take them up to seventy two hours to reach people affected by a disaster and offer help. They therefore suggest that a BOB should contain enough supplies to allow those reliant on it to survive for this length of time. In addition to allowing one to survive a disaster, the assembling of a BOB has the added benefit of allowing one to deal with common emergencies such as injuries, house fires, blackouts and so on. Since all of the materials needed to deal with these common emergencies have been both purchased and collected into a single easy to find place, one is far better prepared to deal with them.
Contents
The suggested contents of a BOB vary, but most of the following are usually included:
- Enough food and water to last for seventy two hours.
- Water purification supplies.
- A set of cutlery and a cup.
- A first aid kit.
- A disaster plan including location of emergency centers, rallying points, possible evacuation routes etc.
- Professional emergency literature explaining what to do in various types of disaster, studied and understood before the actual disaster but kept for reference.
- Maps and travel information.
- Standard camping equipment, including sanitation supplies.
- Tents or other emergency shelter.
- Clothes and bedding.
- Enough medicine to last an extended evacuation period if, for example, one's home were destroyed.
- Defensive tools and weapons (ideally a knife and sidearm such as a pistol or revolver.)
- Pet needs.
- "Self powered radio and self powered lighting" and Glow sticks.
Note that this list is not intended to serve as a guide from which to build a bug-out bag. More comprehensive guides are available online as a free service.
See also
External links
- Dept. of Homeland Security (USA).
- FEMA (USA).
- The American Red Cross.
- International Red Cross Preparedness Plan
- Bug Out Bag PSA from the Zombie Squad
Fire
- NSW Rural Fire Service (Australia).
- NSW Fire Brigade (Australia).
Storms
- NSW SES (Australia).
