After releasing a short film that mentioned bug-out bags and emergency kits. I had a number of people ask me: what should I put in my bug-out bag?
I didn’t know how to answer them, until one cold night in Virgina the power went out during a snow storm. The temperature started dropping, and I realized it could be days before power came back on. Thankfully, it was only an hour, but it made me aware of the single most important question to ask yourself in prepping:
What are you preparing for?
When trying to figure out what you need, just ask yourself one question – what scenario are you preparing for? Go through that scenario in your mind and notice each item you see yourself using. Once you’ve got your list, run a drill and see what equipment you actually use.
For a long time, my bag was built around power outages or natural disasters in Virginia. In Texas, extreme cold isn’t really a worry, so I keep different items in the house.
The bag in my car is built around the premise “what if my car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and my phone is dead?” It’s got a solar-powered charger, water, a poncho, thermal blankets, and a couple other goodies.
It’s also got everything I need to stay over a friends house. I travel frequently, and have had friends invite me to stay when I didn’t even have a change of clothes with me. Now, I just keep a bag with all that stuff in the back of my car. While this isn’t a survival tool, I’ve found myself in this situation enough that I’ve prepared for.
This is a survivalist way of thinking that you can apply to other areas. As you go through the day, just notice what you need, or wish you had. Over time, you’ll find you need less and less, because you’re prepared.
The Zombie Apocalypse
A lot of survival blogs write as if they are preparing for the zombie apocalypse. I don’t think the world is going to end anytime soon, but the zombie apocalypse does cover every possible scenario – viral outbreak, civil unrest, failure of basic services, etc. I get why people use it.
Prepping for the zombie apocalypse requires a greater investment of time and money. Because I don’t think that scenario is likely, my bag is not geared for it. I suspect many people focus on the zombie apocalypse, not because they think it will happen, but because they enjoy LARPing the end of the world.
Don’t let extreme survivalist attitudes turn you off from preparing for more likely scenarios – like a power outage or losing water in your building for a few days. Their lists of suggested items can be useful as a starting point, but if you test your scenario, you’ll know how much of that stuff you really need.
What should I put in MY bag?
Again, I have friends who are into survivalism way more then I am, but because I made a short film mentioning it, everyone asks me about it. At one point, I looked into starting a business making pre-made bug-out bags, because so many people were interested.
I ending up not doing that because I discovered 1) the economics of it didn’t work for me, but more importantly 2) what you put in the bag depends on your situation. The bag I’d use in Texas is not the same bag I’d use in Virginia. The bag I’d give to a friend with no survival training is not the same bag I’d give to an experienced outdoors-man.
As a rule of thumb – it’s better to have a few pieces of equipment you know how to use, then a bunch of gear you’ve never tested. Minimalism. Just go back to that question – what are you preparing for? – and then take only what you’ll use.
Once you’ve got your scenario, prepare for contingencies. What if you cut yourself? What if it’s raining? What if the emergency occurs at an unexpected hour?
Prepping as a life skill
This way of thinking can apply to other situations. Right now, I’m finishing editing a documentary film, and thinking through distribution scenarios. What if I have to self-distribute? What I can’t license the footage I want? What if someone doesn’t like the film’s message and comes after it? Same mindset, different problem.
Happy prepping.
Read More: How To Make Moving Easy Using Lifestyle Minimalism
