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As you know with all the tornados reported in TN, KY, IN, IL etc, there has been a lot of homes destroyed as well as a lot of deaths. Prayers go out to the families that fell victims.
I had the chance to bug out to a different location other that my own home. My goal has always been to "bug in", and to stay put. But since I live at 1700 feet above sea level, I was in a prone area for disaster. My wife and I went to my fathers house during the storms tonight. I was actually excited because I got to do a real bug out (I know, thats weird!). I was going around the house, grabbing flashlights, handheld weather bands, bug out bag and other trinkets. I really wanted to take my AR with me (LOL), but I thought my family would think I'm crazy. Anyway.... some things learned.
#1. Be sure that you have a plan on "what" to take for each particular disaster. Ex: It took me about 15 minutes to grab a quick few things, but what took the longest was thinking if I needed my AR, spare water, which car I was going to take, potassium idodine tablets (LOL) and other things.
#2. Make sure you have flashlights. With all the hightech maglights, cap lights, gun lights, key fob lights, I failed to have a single one "ON" me during a storm. I did happen to have one in my bug out bag that I took with me when the power went out, but it would have been easier to have one physically ready.
#3. Don't buy cheap gear, or rather insufficient gear. I broke open a glow stick when the lights went off. Comes to find out, I bought these off ebay where someone said they were "military" style. Sure... had the cammo pack (for kids), and I thought this would be good enough. Also, it was only 6 inches long and like a pencil. DOH! The packaging really made it look huge. So take note to test, try, advise others and recommend pros and cons of gear as much as possible to help others.
#4. Know your gear and how to use it. I took my nice 5 million channel, microwavable, coffee making nasa space station hand held scanner with me so that I could listen to the alerts. Sad to say I didn't know how to use it. There were so many buttons, frequencies, codes, buttons that all i got was static. So remember to test, use, learn, relearn, reuse your equipment before you need it.
#5. Know emergency contact numbers. I used my blackberry all day, they are battery hogs. My phone went out right before the storm, and of course I left my phone charger at my house. I didn't remember the numbers of my family (since they change cell phones every other day!) after the storm. So keep with you or memorize important numbers.
#6. Know your resources for how to "track" disasters. For the light of me, I could not find the DAM* "real time, down to the minute, weather dopler system!!!! The weather channel, underground weather, accuweather had changed their links along with putting TONS of advertisements on their site to make the pages load very slow that it took me a good 30 minutes to find what I was looking for!!!! ::rambo::
#7 Do NOT rely on SPRINT! CINGULAR! STRAIGHT TALK! ATT! and the rest of the YAHOOs for cell service during emergencies! I live 1000 feet away from a multitower system and my bars were ZERO. But of course I'm still going to have to pay for that service during that time right folks? My god, this is 2012, not midevil century! We put people in space for gods sakes and are still able to talk to them!
#8. For whatever reason, all of this activity made me extremely hungry. Might had been the nervousness, but keep this in mind to know how important food supplies are. I had put a bag of peanuts, slimjims in my BOB, and of course my bob needs a refill now.
#9. When you think your out of danger, think again. When I got to my fathers house, I thought I was out of danger on the main floor. My intentions were to go to the basement if I heard something. I did, but by that time the wind was blowing things over outside. I directed everyone down to the basement. If this was a real tornado, then I wouldn't be writing this right now.
So, thanks for the read, and I want to say that I FAILED to bug out properly today! Too much ninja prepping and not enough real prepping. I would have gotten an F- on this disaster prepardness.
But.... you live, you learn. Next time, I'll remember all of this in a nano second.
Stay prepped, be safe, and keep your head on. ~Survival
I had the chance to bug out to a different location other that my own home. My goal has always been to "bug in", and to stay put. But since I live at 1700 feet above sea level, I was in a prone area for disaster. My wife and I went to my fathers house during the storms tonight. I was actually excited because I got to do a real bug out (I know, thats weird!). I was going around the house, grabbing flashlights, handheld weather bands, bug out bag and other trinkets. I really wanted to take my AR with me (LOL), but I thought my family would think I'm crazy. Anyway.... some things learned.
#1. Be sure that you have a plan on "what" to take for each particular disaster. Ex: It took me about 15 minutes to grab a quick few things, but what took the longest was thinking if I needed my AR, spare water, which car I was going to take, potassium idodine tablets (LOL) and other things.
#2. Make sure you have flashlights. With all the hightech maglights, cap lights, gun lights, key fob lights, I failed to have a single one "ON" me during a storm. I did happen to have one in my bug out bag that I took with me when the power went out, but it would have been easier to have one physically ready.
#3. Don't buy cheap gear, or rather insufficient gear. I broke open a glow stick when the lights went off. Comes to find out, I bought these off ebay where someone said they were "military" style. Sure... had the cammo pack (for kids), and I thought this would be good enough. Also, it was only 6 inches long and like a pencil. DOH! The packaging really made it look huge. So take note to test, try, advise others and recommend pros and cons of gear as much as possible to help others.
#4. Know your gear and how to use it. I took my nice 5 million channel, microwavable, coffee making nasa space station hand held scanner with me so that I could listen to the alerts. Sad to say I didn't know how to use it. There were so many buttons, frequencies, codes, buttons that all i got was static. So remember to test, use, learn, relearn, reuse your equipment before you need it.
#5. Know emergency contact numbers. I used my blackberry all day, they are battery hogs. My phone went out right before the storm, and of course I left my phone charger at my house. I didn't remember the numbers of my family (since they change cell phones every other day!) after the storm. So keep with you or memorize important numbers.
#6. Know your resources for how to "track" disasters. For the light of me, I could not find the DAM* "real time, down to the minute, weather dopler system!!!! The weather channel, underground weather, accuweather had changed their links along with putting TONS of advertisements on their site to make the pages load very slow that it took me a good 30 minutes to find what I was looking for!!!! ::rambo::
#7 Do NOT rely on SPRINT! CINGULAR! STRAIGHT TALK! ATT! and the rest of the YAHOOs for cell service during emergencies! I live 1000 feet away from a multitower system and my bars were ZERO. But of course I'm still going to have to pay for that service during that time right folks? My god, this is 2012, not midevil century! We put people in space for gods sakes and are still able to talk to them!
#8. For whatever reason, all of this activity made me extremely hungry. Might had been the nervousness, but keep this in mind to know how important food supplies are. I had put a bag of peanuts, slimjims in my BOB, and of course my bob needs a refill now.
#9. When you think your out of danger, think again. When I got to my fathers house, I thought I was out of danger on the main floor. My intentions were to go to the basement if I heard something. I did, but by that time the wind was blowing things over outside. I directed everyone down to the basement. If this was a real tornado, then I wouldn't be writing this right now.
So, thanks for the read, and I want to say that I FAILED to bug out properly today! Too much ninja prepping and not enough real prepping. I would have gotten an F- on this disaster prepardness.
But.... you live, you learn. Next time, I'll remember all of this in a nano second.
Stay prepped, be safe, and keep your head on. ~Survival
