BUILDING BUG-OUT-BAGS FOR YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY:
Every household should have a bug out bags for their family. What is a bug out bag? Basically a 72-hour weekender bag with some survivor gear in it. Every member of a person’s house hold should have one.
This does not mean you have to get excessive and become a doomsday prepper. This simply means that everyone should take responsibility for their own survival during a short term or long-term crisis. Simply put a “bug-out” or “go-bag” can have the necessities to get you through a long weekend of hardship if not a couple days more. Think about taking a long road trip three to four days what will you need in case your car breaks down. Spare clothes, medicine, reading glasses, a book, maybe some legal documents, a knife, snacks, something to write with, a flashlight, a notebook, toothpaste/toothbrush, a spare cell phone charger, baby wipes, water, water filtration, a rain poncho, maybe even some extra cash, two-way-radios, legal weapons. More snacks or MRE (ready to eat meals). With important items, remember two-is-one and one-is-none. Also remember, it that gets hard to hike around with a 65-pound to 75-pound ruck sack after a while. In other words, don’t pack the entire house.
This about when storms, floods or fire hits and you must get out of the house fast. You don’t have time to pack; you just need to go. Keep you packs ready to go by the front closet or exit of your home. Keep multiples, everyone in my family that drives keeps a pack in their car trunk.
When building bug out bags think about what your family needs to keep them cool and level headed like toys, games and things to younger children busy. Maps and compass for dad. Mom’s favorite books.
PREPPER GEAR:
There is a ton of proper gear that can be bought it stores that vary from Walmart to outdoor stores like REI. You don’t have to spend a lot of money and go broke building a go bag or bug out bag. Everyone has spare clothes and there are a lot of budget items that can be bought at stores. A good-to-go bug out bag can be had for under $100 per bag. There is a lot of prepper and survival gear out there that can have you spend well over $1000 in your bag. While there is good, better and best nobody needs to spend $1000 in their go in their bug out bag.
What people do need is to train with their gear. If you want fire starters, practice with them. If you want a map and compass practice with it. If you want to learn how to use radio communications, practice with it. The worst thing that can happen is to be under stress and find out that your gear is no good or that you don’t know how to use it. Gear is as good as its user.
GO CAMPING AND PLAY SURVIVAL IN THE WOODS:
The best way to get used to your gear is to use it. Go camping pitch a tent, practice setting up makeshift shelters, build fires, boil water, learn how to put out a fire, learn how to use your map and compass, use your flashlight, play search and rescue, practice with medical gear, do a camp cookout, pretend you’re homeless.
So many martial artists teach they are students how to survive a street fight. Teach them how to survive a fight that can happen in real life like change a tire or how to signal for help when in trouble. Things that might really save their life. Teach your kids how to swim. Practice first aid and medical skills. These are survival skills that everybody should know. A bug out bag is something that is no more than gear. Gear that can be used with skills that you know. Learn the skills. Learn how to put the gear inside your bug out bag into play. It will make a tough time much easier.
IF YOU HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE “YOU CAN” BUY A PRE-MADE SURVIVAL BACKPACK ONLINE:
I would never recommend doing this, but if you are feeling lazy, go online and buy a prebuilt bug out bag. Be warned, there are pros and cons with these pre built bags. Many of them have some good gear in them and then they’re filled with a lot of dollars stored junk that will fail you under stress. In my opinion, $100 goes a very long way in gear. You can buy a lot of gear and find stuff around the house like zip lock bags and old first aid kits, they have bandages and things that you can put in your bags that can work and get away with without having to spend money.
The truth is you can buy survival backpack online from dozens of different websites. Some of you may do this. If you do test to gear to make sure it works. In my opinion my family is worth the time and money and effort and energy to invest into making sure that their gear will keep them not just alive but thriving, calm as possible and moving when stressful times come along.
WAYSUN JOHNNY TSAI BIO:
Chicago native (Sijo / Founder) Waysun Johnny Tsai is the founder of the C.U.M.A Survival School and C.U.M.A Combatives. He is a freelance writer, published book author and a DVD personality. Sijo is also an established knife designer for several well-known companies. Holding two internationally recognized eighth degree black sashes (black belts), he has over 40 combined years of teaching experience in practical street defense, urban / wilderness survival and Combatives to civilians, law enforcement and military agencies around the globe.
To learn more about the author please visit waysunjohnnytsai.com.
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