Prepping Part 2: "Get Out of Dodge" Bag

Yes, by taking the step to have a Get Out of Dodge (GOOD) bag, you are officially crossing the threshold to being a true PREPPER.  You will be a little odd compared to the majority of American society, but you will also be that much more ready for a natural or man made disaster.  This pack is simply the beginning to being AWARE, EDUCATED, and READY for unforeseen events that could change your life.

So, let's get started.  What is the point of a GOOD bag?  In the event of an emergency where you might have only moments to leave your home (fire, post-tornado, flood, etc), the GOOD bag is a summary of your life and necessities, enough to get you to a rendezvous point of safety.  It is all the important documents, spare medications, and survival items to aid you in relocating and eventually rebuilding after a disaster.  Remember, after some disasters like a tornado, emergency personnel may not come to your family first as other situations in your community will take priority until more help arrives.  Therefore, it would benefit your family and children greatly if you were able to, for example,  care for their injuries with your own first aid kit.  It would also be of great benefit to local law enforcement if you had means of personal identification with you.  Do your own homework and check out the news stories that came out post-Katrina and the even more recent Moore, OK, tornado.  What would have aided those survivors who were left in the wreckage? 

What items should I have in my pack?  Well, first of all, you should have one pack per family member, so therefore the items in the pack should be specific to that person's needs.  Are they an adult or a child?  Does that person have specific health concerns and/or medications?  Consider these factors when making the list for your pack.

Our adult packs include:
(because of space issues, my husband's pack is more geared towards defense and orienteering, where mine is more first aid and food related)
1) A binder with COPIES OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
-birth certificate
-Social Security card
-driver's license
-professional licenses
-credit and debit cards
-passport (ORIGINAL, but mine is also expired)
-vet records of animal rabies vaccinations

2) First Aid kit
-hydrogen peroxide
-rubbing alcohol
-band aids

-ace wrap
-bar soap
-scissors
-medical tape
-gauze
-burn cream
-insect bite/plant rash lotion (called Chalomine lotion)
-myriad of pills (Tylenol, Advil, Tums, etc)
-triple antibiotic ointment
-latex gloves

3) Duct Tape
4) Multi-tool camping style knife

5) Binoculars
6) Extra ammunition for my handgun
7) Small Gideon Bible (I had a bunch laying around; useful place for them)
8)  Small notepad and a few pens
9) Waterproof, strike-anywhere matches
10) Fire starter bricks
11) Lint fire starters (pack laundry lint into used toilet paper rolls)
12) Newspaper for starting fires
13) Book of edible plants for my region
14) Maps of my state and surrounding states WITH OUR REGROUP SITE HIGH-LIGHTED
15) Camping mess kit
16) Quick food, such as MRE's (I have not purchased any yet) or simply granola bars
17) Whistle
18) Compass
19) Water bottle (mine is a Berky Sport Bottle, which can filter even pond water!)
20) Rain Pancho
21) Emergency heat blanket
22) Change of clothes
23) Dog leash 
24) Toilet paper
25) Feminine hygiene items
26) Small tape measure (mine is a wedding favor ;P)
27) Flashlight and extra batteries 
28) Battery-powered radio
 
My toddler son's pack includes: 
1) Blanket
2) Change of clothes
3) Diapers
4) Wipes
5) Baby powder
6) Snacks
7) Children's book
8) Toy
9) Picture of family members with labels
10) Copies of important documents pertaining to him (birth certificate, SS card, etc)
11) Flashlight and extra batteries

In closing, you can call me crazy, but in the end, a disaster will come to all of us at some point.  It may show its ugly face in different ways, but hopefully none will require us to leave our home quickly and for a temporary time period.  It is all of our prayers that no one would ever experience losing our home to fire or other natural disaster, but we all know it happens.  What would it hurt to be one small step ahead?  What would it hurt to have even the smallest means of personal items and information during the rebuilding stage after a crises?  After all, imagine how much you could relax after losing your home when all you have to do is turn over your copies of personal information rather than traveling to and fro trying to prove who you are?  Imagine actually having a diaper along with you to change your crying infant.  Imagine being able to hand your child their own stuffed animal from home as you tuck her into bed at the hotel room after your home has been damaged by a tornado.  Those are moments where you will shine as being the parent who was prepared. :-)

Ever considered the role of Charity?
Going back to our post-tornado scenario where your town looks like a war zone, what will your family being a little more prepared enable?  Assuming all of your family safely rode out the disaster, you have cared for their minor cuts and scrapes, what can you now do?  Your family can now distribute your survival items as charity!  Imagine how many people you can assist by tending now to their injuries, baby needs, whatever the case may be. :-)