BOB is Your Friend!

Buona sera. You really need BOB available in a crisis. If you must get out now, be sure to have BOB handy.

No, not me. Don't be a cafone. I'll be taking care of my own people. No, what you need is a Bug-Out Bag. I assembled my first one in 1990 or so, even though it did not have the moniker "of Bug-Out Bag" at the time. Yes, I remember that Saddam Barack Hussein was calling for Iraqis to attack Americans. Although they did not comply with their "beloved" leader, I was planning for the worst. Later, I realized that it was a good idea to have one, anyway.

"But Cowboy Bob, I don't think we're going to be attacked!"

Remember September 11, 2001? People were living in fear. I think this fear spread to the rest of the world, because other countries were thinking they were going to be hit as well. But we were jumping at shadows, wondering if another attack was imminent. 

It could very well have been. Subsequent attacks have been thwarted, you realize.

But even so, there are plenty of other reasons to have a Bug-Out Bag. Natural disasters, train derailment, nuclear accident (I know, it's a very remote possibility, but still...), some other reason that you have to get out now. There won't be much time to think things through, just grab the bag and go.

There are several sites advising what to put in your Bug-Out Bag, including this one from Wikipedia and another from the US government. I have a problem with some of their recommendations, however. They want you to pack several things, including quantities of water, that have considerable bulk and weight.

My recommendation is to have your BOB on two levels. First, the absolute essentials in something that is relatively easy to carry, like a backpack. My bag is packed for a three-day evacuation. Vitamins, prescriptions and other pills are in there for that amount of time. Special ultra-lightweight thermal blankets (they look like aluminum foil), batteries, flashlights (do not store them with batteries inside, they'll leak and get ruined, capice?), small radio, knife, that sort of thing. A New Testament. You might want sunglasses in a hard-shell case. Hey, do you have an extra pair of glasses, maybe an old prescription or just something you don't use? Put 'em in. Bandages to wrap sprains, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, other personal care products. That sort of thing. Use your imagination.

Then, you go through that bag every once in a while, make adjustments, replace the medications and other dated materials. I have added things and removed other things over the years. Remember, you may be on foot with this thing for quite a distance, so don't overload yourself.

From there, work on the more involved BOB that the experts recommend. If you have a vehicle and time to put this second-level bag inside, great. Just make sure you have that bare-minimums BOB ready. And don't forget where it is, for crying out loud.

This is just another public service from Stormbringer Productions.