Home Emergency Bag.

[explorerdude]

Hey guys,
I am a non-leo, but i am very interested in what you guys would recommend for an emergency bag. Scenario: Zombies start their attack, city is in chaos. What do you guys recommend as far as protection or a ready to go emergency bag? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Ron-Solo]

Food, water, and makeshift shelter should be your priorities. Enough to get you through at least three days, preferably more.

As far as a firearm, that is a personal choice that only you can make. There are pros and cons, and you should educate yourself on both before making a decision.

The Red Cross has some valuable information on making a survival kit.

I have two backpacks loaded that will sustain my wife and I for four days, and bins that would sustain us or over a week.

My firearms are kept in safes, but are accessible when needed.

[FLIGHT762]

You were doing good until you described your scenario. There is no such thing as Zombies. The Zombie apocalypse is not going to happen and is pure fantasy.

Realistically, in a disaster in Cities, you need to have enough food, water and medical supplies for a couple of weeks. If you live in a rural area, you'll need more. In California, the most likely disaster will be Earth Quakes. Might be handy to have a bag with a few days of clothing, toiletries etc. in case you have to go to a shelter. Just remember, you will likely not be able to bug out of town due to road closures, bridges out etc., depending where you live.

Many times, you are better off staying at home if you can. Take lessons from real natural disasters. Katrina, Loma Prieta in 89, San Bruno, etc. Be ready for disasters that can occur where you live.

The guys on the outdoor/ camping/ survival forum cover your questions daily.

[TRICKSTER]

You were doing good until you described your scenario. There is no such thing as Zombies. The Zombie apocalypse is not going to happen and is pure fantasy.

Work a graveyard shift in San Francisco. I bet you wont be so sure about the "no such thing as Zombies".

[FLIGHT762]

Work a graveyard shift in San Francisco. I bet you wont be so sure about the "no such thing as Zombies".

I was in the Mission district last weekend working an Urban Shield check point scenario. I did see a few push shopping carts that could pass.

[rspar]

A 72 hour bag that is well equipped is a large backpack. When you consider food & water and every thing you'll need for most occasions.

[tyrist]

You are going to want at minimum food, water, and a legit medical kit not the junk ones you buy at the grocery store with band-aid. You want things like quick clot and compression bandages.

After that you might think about having a tent or some other temporary shelter and a water purifier.

[SoCalDep]

It depends on several factors. You have to look at your home and work and evaluate what risk factors, etc will be most likely, and what specific climactic, political, social, and environmental issues you'll have to address.

You'll have to decide if you are going to shelter in place (bug in) or evacuate (bug out). As part of this you'll have to evaluate your threats and determine if your home is defensible. If not, you might need to get out of Dodge.

Obviously if you stay, you'll have access to more gear (assuming you made some preparations). If you go, you'll have to bring what you need. If you can access a vehicle, you can bring more stuff, but you should plan for having to ditch the vehicle, or possibly take off on foot from the get-go.

In the interest of space, time, and focus, let's say you live in an urban environment where you've determined you cannot shelter in place but are planning to move into a nearby rural area to evacuate to your family vacation home in nearby mountains. You may have made preparations for a vehicle evacuation but for whatever reason that isn't possible. We must also assume you are single. I have a family so my preparations are different. We say zombie attack, but what we really mean is something so catastrophic social order and control breaks down. The most obvious scenario would be "the big one" (which just happens to coincide with the big "shakeout" earthquake scenario this Thurs), so let's say there's been a really big earthquake. A ripple effect of devastation including a loss of power, water, and natural gas services has affected a large portion of southern California. People are hungry, thirsty, and rumors of criminal gangs roaming the streets are increasing. You know things are bad because the day of the earthquake your neighbor received a compound fracture to his leg. You couldn't call 911 if you wanted and his family left to try to take him to the hospital. His oldest son returned this afternoon to say they'd been waiting for 36hrs at the hospital to talk to anyone. They were still waiting outside. He had horror stories of gangs and violence outside the secured area of the hospital. He said he barely made it back, and it seemed a large group of (insert nasty gang in your area here) were coming out of houses just a short distance away carrying food, televisions, alcohol, and guns. He saw lots of guns.

Then you hear the shots, and shortly after, they start to coincide with screams and yelling. It's getting closer and you know no one is coming to help. You'd make a stand, in fact, you'd attack if you had support, but you live with sheep and no one else seems prepared or dedicated to fight back. You know you are doomed if you try to stay alone. You grab your bag and leave... On foot, because your car was crushed by a collapsed parking structure.

Thankfully, after almost running for the past five miles, you're a short distance outside town on a ridge overlooking the city. You can see the fires burning slowly across the horizon. Smoke cuts the sky into an ominous darkness, with an orange reminiscent of hells-fire creeping under the blackness. You can still hear the muffled pops of gunfire in the distance, but you can't tell if you're actually hearing it, or if it's the memory of the last four hours playing tricks on you.

It will still be 18 hours before the National Guard enters the border of the city.

Exhausted, you pull out your sleeping bag and snuggle into a small area concealed between a rocky outcropping. In the morning you are jarred into consciousness by the roar of a helicopter flying low across the ridge. You pull out your radio and turn on your local AM frequency. There is a message about a tent city being set up in the middle of the city. It is secured by law enforcement. Even if you wanted to go there, which you don't, you'd have to recross those five miles, and then five more. You know it isn't going to happen so you begin to mentally prepare yourself for the long journey for 58 miles of hiking through rugged terrain and small towns ahead. You open your bag and take an inventory of what is inside. You packed it yourself but it's been months since you looked at it, and you just hope you didn't borrow anything important for that last overnight camping trip...

So now that the scene is set, I'll post what I'd "hope" to find in that bag.

[TheExpertish]

72 hours of supplies is a minimum. 2 weeks is advised. Red Cross has some good suggestions on their site.

[CaptMike]

SoCalDep
where can I buy your book, that was some great writing. You've got me hooked waiting for the next chapter.

[garplay]

This is california. The SHTF is a major earthquake. The key is to be able to go 50 to 100 miles without an automobile, OR to sit in place for a week+.

THe roads will be fubared for anything with 4 wheels, but 2 wheels (bicycle, motorcycle) and 2 feet are going to be Good to Go.

So take that into your planning. EG, for me, at my office I have a backpack with a bunch of cliff bars and water, crowbar, flashlight, and knife. I'll borrow a bicycle from an officemate and ride the 40 miles home.

My car has a similar kit in it.

At home, I don't have "grab and go" bags like that, but rather enough resources to shelter in place for a week+, or can hop on the motorcycles and head out of town to where the infrastructure is good.

[notme92069]

This is california. The SHTF is a major earthquake. The key is to be able to go 50 to 100 miles without an automobile, OR to sit in place for a week+.

Actually Californians also have to plan a bug out for fires. A different plan than the major earthquake bug out (or in) Bugging in for a fire isn't a good option for the entire family.

[non sequitur]

72 hours

I always refer folks to this website:

http://72hours.org/

Lots of good info for post-catastrophe survival tips.

[Caliyanks]

Personnally, I think it depends on your life's situation. Example, I live 20 miles away. I fully intend on trying to get home to my wife. So I keep a CamalBak (3L). A Camalbak water purifer and tablets. an MRE, extra ammo, Flashlight, Swiss knife, Sweatshirt/ Jacket, small first aid kit, Hiking shoes, and especially, Maps for the surrounding area with 3 routes I can take. Can't always take most direct route. All this in a Day pack.
I keep it simple for this scenario. A whole different story once I'm home.

[BigDogatPlay]

I work 20 road miles from home. I have several routes that I can use already mapped out, both direct and indirect. If I have to walk home I plan for it to take one to three days depending on which way I have to go and what my condition is.

I keep a medium sized backpack in my vehicle at all times in expectation of the major earthquake that is bound to happen. I have three full days worth of water in bottles, a hydration bladder / carrier to put that into if I am forced to travel on foot, food for up to a week (longer if I stretch it), navigation and survival stuff (multi-tool, knife, light and light sticks, matches and firestarter, tinder, etc.) mylar blankets and tent, hygeine, two changes of socks and underwear, a boonie hat, a light jacket, a compressed poncho and a pair of broken in waterproof boots. There's other smaller stuff, as well as a first aid kit including blood stopper and quick clot, a couple of .mil trauma bandages, tape and a splint roll. Water purifying tabs are a must.

If you wear eyeglasses, or need readers make sure you have those packed. I also keep an extra pair of sunglasses with my bag. I'm also pretty anal about where I park my truck, I never leave it where something can fall on it (like a parking structure) that will cut me off from my lifeboat. My current employer is very much up on disaster preparedness and has arks in place if we have to shelter in place and can't get out.

72hours.org is good stuff... much useful info there.