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[Westfalia]

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Sibi Totique: Get Home Bags – Examples of Setups

In a previous article here on I have written about what type of items that can be suitable for a Get Home Bag (GHB). In this article I will present three examples of what equipment you can get for your Get Home Bag (GHB) and how much the weight of the setup would be. The suggestions are based on the initial article about Get Home Bags (GHB). The article is not an exact Guide for what you should pack but intended to provide some inspiration and suggestions for what type of items you can get. Exactly what you should pack in your Get Home Bag (GHB) depends on your own particular situation, terrain, setting, skills, health, physical fitness and many other factors. For more advice on what factors that you might have take into consideration check out the articles Get Home Bag and Building The Right Bug Out Bag For You.

Setup 1: Ultra Light Get Home Bag
Bag 0,4kg
[ ] Snugpak Response Pak 440g

Shelter 0,062kg
[ ] Lifesystems Thermal Blanket 62g

Survival Knife 0,241kg
[ ] Leatherman Wave Multi Tool 241g

Fire 0,014kg
[ ] BIC Lighter 14g

Light 0.046kg
[ ] 4 Sevens Preon 2 Penlamp (22,5g+11,5g+11,5g) 45,5g

Pocket Survival Kit 0,12kg
[ ] ESEE Izula Gear Wallet E&E 120g

First Aid Kit 0,112kg
[ ] Life Systems Micro 112g

Other Equipment 0,1kg
[ ] Roll of Electrical Tape 100g

Total Weight: 1,121kg = 2,5 pounds

Summary - Setup 1This setup is very compact and light weight and does not contain any water or food. This can be an interesting type of setup for people how work very close to their home and primary want their GHB to work as recourse for their everyday life and during disasters or medical emergencies. This could also be used as an add-on for a larger Every Day Carry bag.

Setup 2 – Classic Get Home Bag
Bag 1,045kg
[ ] Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack 810g
[ ] Maxpedition J**** Extension Pocket 235g

Clothing and Shelter 0,588kg
[ ] Houdini Motion Wind Hat 36g
[ ] Hatch SGK100 Street Guard Gloves 504g
[ ] Coghlans Emergency Poncho 48g

Survival Knife 0,18kg
[ ] Victorinox RescueTool Swiss Army Knife 180g

Fire 0,014kg
[ ] BIC Lighter14g

Light 0,191kg
[ ] Fenix TK-15 Flashlight (155g+18g+18g) 191g

Pocket Survival Kit 0,28kg
[ ] TOPS Knives Survival Neck Wallet 280g

Water 1,2kg
[ ] Nalgene 1 Liter Widemouth (150g+1000g) 1150g
[ ] Water Purification Tablets: Life Systems Chlorine Dioxide Tablets 50g

Food 0,12kg
[ ] 4 Powerbars (30g x 4) 120g

Navigation 0,1kg
[ ] Citymap / Topographic Map 100g

Other Equipment 0,15kg
[ ] Charger for your Cellphone 50g
[ ] Rite-In-The-Rain 3” x5” Pocket Notebook 56g
[ ] Fisher Space Pen Bullet
[ ] Cash

Total Weight: 3,882 = 8,5 pounds

Summary - Setup 2
This is a classical example of a Get Home Bag, the setup is built around a shoulder bag with an additional pocket so that you can easily store some basic items like a Cell Phone, Wallet or Compass easily accessible. The setup contains some additional clothing, an emergency poncho, a water bottle, some powerbars, a BIC lighter to start a fire, a notebook, pen, city map, compass and a cell phone charger.

The Rescue Tool from Victorinox is especially built for first responders and has some special features like florescent handles, seatbelt cuter, saw for shatterproof glass, screwdriver and bottle opener in addition to a knife blade with a locking mechanism.

The Fenix TK-15 is relatively compact flashlight using either two CR-123 Batteries or a rechargeable 18650 battery. These types of flashlights has a very high maximum light output with the possibility of regulating the output to a lower level in order to extend the runtime. The main advantage of this type of lights is the relatively compact size, great light output and the possibility to use rechargeable batteries and use normal CR123 batteries making them ideal for a Get Home Bag and Every Day Carry. There are many other similar flashlights on the market like the 4Sevens Maelstrom X7, Sunwayman M20C and Surefire G2X Pro.

Setup 3: Comprehensive Get Home Bag
Backpack 1,34kg
[ ] Exped Mountain Pro 40 Backpack 1340g

Shelter and Clothing 0,3kg
[ ] EXPED Bivi-Poncho UL 380g

Survival Knife 0.854kg
[ ] Fixed Blade Knife: Ontario RTAK-II 854g

Fire 0.083kg
[ ] Lighter: Solo Storm 53g
[ ] Tinder: 6 Cotton balls soaked in Vaseline inside a small plastic bag (5g per ball) 30g

Light 0,124kg
[ ] Petzl Tactikka XP Headlamp (60,5g+11,5g+11,5g+11,5g) 95g
[ ] 4Sevens Preon 1 Flashlight (17g+11,5g) 29g

Pocket Survival Kit 0,14kg
[ ] Adventure Medical Kits: Pocket Survival PAK Plus 140g

Water 2,346kg
[ ] Water Purification Filter: Aquamira Frontier Pro 56g
[ ] 2 Water Bottles: Nalgene Wide Mouth 1 Liter (145g+145g+1000g+1000g) 2290g

Food 1,3kg
[ ] 1 Real Field Meal; 24 Hour Rations from DryTech (Contains 3 Freeze Dried Meals, chocolate, biscuits, energy drinks, snacks and water purification tablets; 5000 kcal) 1300g

Stove and Cooking 0,302kg
[ ] Vargo Hexagon Titanium Stove 120g
[ ] Vargo Ti-lite Mug 750ml 140g
[ ] Vargo Long Handle Titanium Spoon 14g
[ ] Proforce Folding Cup 28g

Navigation 0.109kg
[ ] Suunto Clipper Wristband Compass 9g
[ ] Citymap / Topographic map 100g

Total Weight: 6,898kg = 15,5 pounds

Summary - Setup 3
The entire setup with Backpack, Knife, Bivi-Poncho, Pocket Survival Kit, Equipment to Start a Fire, Headlamp, Flashlight and the Compass has a weight of only 2,715kg. This setup provides two Fixed Blade Knives, Multiple resources to start a fire, Two sources of light using AAA batteries, A Multifunction shelter that can be used as a Poncho and a Light Weight Cooking System.

The cooking system enables a person to use small pieces of wood or debris to cook water on the titanium mug and the long spoon is perfect to eat from the bags for the freeze dried rations. The 24 hour rations from DryTech contain 5000kcal, more than enough for demanding activities. The rations contains 3 freeze dried meal per day and additional chocolate bars, crackers, instant coffee, water purification tablets, energy drinks and so on. The main disadvantage: All items are packed in paper and plastic making the rations quite bulky and the rations are quite expensive. The advantage: You get basically everything you need in one package and you can eat some of the content without having to heat or add water when you’re on the move.

The Headlamp from Petzl uses 3 AAA batteries and comes with a number of lenses so that you can get red, blue or green light if you would like so. The compact flashlight from 4Sevens is light weight and an excellent backup light for any setup or for Every Day Carry.

This is another example of a Get Home Bag that can be a good alternative for people how live in a setting where it is easy to find fire wood to use as an alternative to a normal stove that use gas, kerosene or fuel tablets. A Kelly Kettle can be a good alternative to the Vargo Titanium Stove. A Storm Lighter in combination with some cotton balls soaked in Vaseline works well as a Fire Starter in almost any setting and the some extra matches is also included in the Pocket Survival Kit from AMK. This type of setups can be a good alternative for people how work quite a long distance from their homes.

Conclusion
In this article I have presented three suggestions for Get Home Bags and some items that you can use when building your own setup. The setups represent an ultra light approach, a medium approach and a more comprehensive approach to the subject built around three different types of platforms. I hope that the readers have been able to find some useful information and inspiration.

What do you carry in your own Get Home Bag and what would you add to these setups?

 

[Guymcdb]

Sorry is right, because you're wrong:
"Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately."
- Wiki
This is not indiscriminate, nor is there any indication of bulk posting. It's relevant to the forum - unlike your comment.

Pretty much nailed it! Seems his usual though.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Things That You Can Do In Order To Prepare For Peak Oil

Peak Oil just like the subject of Man-Made Global Warming is a very controversial subject that may give many a very pessimistic outlook on the future. In this post I will make some suggestions to what you can do in order to prepare for world where the access to oil is not as high as we have gotten use to.

Personal Preparedness
1.) Learn About The Subject
If you don’t know anything about the subject get a overview of the subject. In order to get some basic understanding of the subject you can see a documentary like “Blind Spot” or “The End of Suburbia”. The videos from the Crash Course by Chris Martensson or <broken link removed> can also be a good place to get started.

2.) Get a Bike
A Bike is one of the most energy efficient ways to travel with muscle power. Many persons use their cars for short trips that might actually be faster to travel by bike. Using bikes does not only save money, it also increases your physical fitness and is good for your health.

3.) Get a Fuel Efficient Car
If you are dependent on a car to get around one way of reducing your vulnerability is to get a fuel efficient car. This way high fuel prices will have less of an impact on your personal situation. Other ways of reducing the cost of travel by car is to
• Always make sure that you have the right air pressure in you tiers
• Take an eco-driving course and learn how to drive as fuel efficient as possible
• Avoid driving at high speeds
• Car pool with other people if possible
• Do not drive more than necessary

4.) Your Home
If oil and energy process would rise there are steps you can take to reduce the economical impact that it will have on you. If you live in a cold climate increasing the insulation of your home can reduce the amount of energy required to keep it warm. Many also have high indoor temperatures, lowering the temperature inside by just a few degrees can save much energy. Examples of other actions that you can take to conserve energy:
• Take short showers and avoid baths
• Get low energy light bulbs
• Turn of lights, your TV, computer and other appliances when you don’t use them.
• Remember to check the energy efficiency when you buy electronics

5.) Food Consumption
If the oil prices would raise this might also increase the price of food. In many countries half of all food that is consumed gets thrown away today. If this applies to your personal situation this mean that you could basically be storing half of the food you are buying if you change your habits. In addition to this many in rich countries eat too many calories per day, not too few; overweight, heart disease and diabetes are much bigger problems than famine.

6.) Prioritize
Today much of the things that we consume are things that we might not actually need. Not too long ago it was common to pass on possessions like clothing, footwear, tools and other possessions from one generation to the next. When it comes to Crisis Preparedness it’s easy to get too focused on specific types of items. It is important that you balance your effort over multiple fields.
• When you buy something try to invest in quality items that will last over time
• Learn how to repair clothing and other items when they break
• Take care of your possessions; tools will last much longer if you use them with care.

7.) Start a Garden
For many Survivalist and Preppers the dream is to have a farm or retreat and be self sufficient. However, for most this will remain a dream, over half of the world population lives in cities and the number of people living in cities increase every year. If you live in a house and you can start a garden and grow some of the food that you eat on your own, you might not be able to be completely self sufficient. But you can produce some parts of what you need. Even people living in apartments can grow some of the food or spices that they need on their own, do what you can with what you got. You may not be able to be self sufficient, but you can most likely add some food or spices to your diet.

8.) Your Mindset
Peak Oil as an idea that stands in direct opposition against much of what we are taking for granted today. Many of the people in the world today have grown up during a period when a rise in the standard of living and an incredibly fast technological development has taken place. The idea of continued growth is deeply rotted in our minds, institutions, media and political parties. Many are not even aware of the concept of Peak Oil even if they know that fossil fuels are non renewable recourses. We still expect them to last forever.

The US already imports around half of the oil that’s being used every year today and domestic production is sinking every year and have been doing so since 1970 when the US Oil Production peaked. How would the American society look like if no imports were possible and only half of the amount of oil currently being used was available? How would it look if only a forth was available?

Accepting that this could become the case in maybe just a few decades or even less time is very hard to comprehend and imagine. We might find solutions so that the access to energy will remain high, but we might just simply have to adjust to a new situation. Changing ones perception and mindset is the most critical aspect in order to be able to make this transition.

In Your Community
9.) Watch a documentary about the subject with your friends or family.
“Home” or The National Geographic “2210 The Collapse?” based on the book by Jared Diamond are two suggestions, the first can be accessed for free on YouTube. Some will likely refuse the possibility, but some will learn and understand the concept.

10.) Get Involved
Get engaged in the Transition Network or some other type of organization that work with these types of issues. There are people that are working with Peak Oil and to promote Sustainability – You could be one of them.

11.) Put Pressure On Your Politicians
Many may expect that politicians and other may have a much better understand of this type of issues when they in many cases have no idea about this type of potential problems. Put pressure on your politicians and informing them about the potential problem. Are they aware about this type of problems and what are they doing about it? There are cities and communities that are actively working to reduce their dependency on oil and that do prepare for the possible consequences of Peak Oil. Your City or Community could become one of them.

Summary
Peak Oil is a subject that easily can get the most optimistic person pessimistic. The knowledge about the subject is still not very widespread even if the attention surrounding the subject has been increased the last years. Many within the Peak Oil Movement like Michael Ruppert the founder of CollapseNet are making very negative forecasts and believe that a Collapse is only a few months away. The message is that disaster is imminent.

Personally I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, so don’t see any point in making predictions. The worst could happen, there are no guarantees. But it is also possible that solutions can be found. Peak Oil is a Man-Made problem, we have created the problem and it is my belief that we can overcome it. If we can spread knowledge about the problem and change our ways we can at a minimum reduce the impact that Peak Oil might have both for our societies and for us as individuals. What happens tomorrow is not written, it’s up to us to decide how it will play out.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: The Bug Out Plan

Having a Bug Out Bag that is adjusted for your particular situation and needs is a good start, but another critical aspect in the step towards being ready for an evacuation is to have a Plan. It is likely that you will overlook something or that you might need more information if you would ever really need to evacuate, but to having a Plan and some options is a good start.

In this article I will present some advice concerning what you can think of when making your own Bug Out Plan. There is no Plan that is perfect for every person or every setting. One Size does not fit all; you might have several personal needs that are not included in this article that you have to cover. You must own this process yourself; this is only advice and guidelines. First of all, let’s be clear: No Crisis Plan is likely to Survive its first encounter with reality. You will have to improvise and find solutions for situations that cannot be foreseen before they happen. You cannot plan for every possible scenario.

In a Crisis Situation you will face time pressure, insecurity and great values like you life or safety will be at stake. The very dynamic of the situation means that you will have to make decisions based on incomplete information. Not even the crisis staffs of government organizations will have access to all information during this type of situations.

Starting Out: Keep it Simple
As I first step I suggest that you make a very basic Bug Out Plan. It’s possible to make a very comprehensive Bug Out Plan but as your first step I suggest that you try to keep it simple. I suggest that you establish some basic parameters like:
1.) Establish two means of Getting in contact with other Group Members; Cell phones are often the best primary alternative since most people carry them on an Everyday basis. HAM radio, CB-Radio, Social Networks like Facebook or E-mail can be potential secondary means of communications.
2.) Establish Meeting Points: One Primary Meeting Point and One Secondary Meeting Point.
3.) Establish Two alternative routes to get out of your area.
4.) Establish a primary and secondary means of transportation; Normally Vehicles like a car, truck or motorcycle will the primary alternative; travelling by foot, bike or public transportation can be a secondary alternative.
5.) Make sure that you have a Bug Out Bag (BOB) and some basic equipment available.
6.) Make sure that every Group member is aware of the Plan and have Copy.

Making a more Comprehensive Bug Out Plan
I suggest that the basic layout of your Bug Out Plan should be as easy and uncomplicated as possible. A comprehensive Bug Out Plan with multiple alternatives can have advantages but if a plan for a Group is extremely comprehensive it can be hard for members to remember all the details of the plan and it can also make the plan hard to understand. My suggestion is that you first make a Basic Plan and that you later add to this plan and adjusts it depending on new findings and developments.

Part 1: Activation
So when should one choose to evacuate? The easy answer is: when your chances to survive are better somewhere else then in your home or where you are right now. The dynamics of a Crisis makes it very hard being able to tell when it’s better to evacuate and when it isn’t. You will most likely not have all the information that you would need when you will make the decision to stay or evacuate. I would recommend that you do not just view this problem from a perspective with only two options. It can be good to have a sliding scale approach to the problem so that you have more steps to take than just too stay or go.

Normal
During your normal everyday life there are things that you can do in order to be able to get information at an early stage like
• Check the Media and your local news paper every morning
• Check the weather prognosis every morning
• Check FEMA or your local crisis management organizations webpage every morning
Many of these organizations can have news feeds that you can get for your computer or smart phone so that you can get information at an early stage.
• Have a Bug Out Bag Ready.
• Make sure that your Vehicle is in a good working condition and that you have some extra fuel stored that you rotate on a regular basis.

Elevated
When a crisis situation takes place news papers, TV news channels, WebPages and the radio are common sources of information. During an early stage the information is often incomplete and sometimes even contradicting. If you receive this type of information make sure that you write down
• What information have you received
• At what time did you receive it
• From what source did you receive it?

Also make sure to:
• Inform the other members of your Groups
• Follow the Development

Increased Readiness
If you have received information that suggests that an evacuation might become necessary but don’t know the severity of the situation or if an evacuation is necessary I suggest that you start taking steps in order to prepare.
• Check in with everyone and make sure that they are informed, make sure that you have routines for this; having specific e-mail or text messaging lists ready can make it easy to inform several people at once. I also suggest that you create a standard procedure for the members to confirm that they have received the information.
• Stay Updated
• Is there any information that suggests that your intended routes may be affected?
• Check Vehicles and Fuel Levels
• Check Bug Out Bags
• Check Supplies

Evacuation
This step can be taken either after an Early Warning or Incubation period or it could be taken at a moment’s notice like in the case of a Tsunami Warning or an alert for some type of immediate danger. In some situations like a Tsunami all efforts must be focused on getting to safety at once; no time can be spared to load equipment etc; waiting to do this could cost you your life. Therefore I recommend that you Plan for two types of scenarios: An Evacuation when you have the time to prepare and an Evacuation when you must leave at once.

If the scenario does not present an immediate danger like a tsunami it’s important to establish routines for how the decision to evacuate will be made. If there is a group will there be a vote or will someone that the group trusts make the decision? What does one do if some members of a Group want to stay behind? This is a very difficult subject and you must find a solution that makes sense for you.

When deciding these parts it can also be good to think of different types of Scenarios like:
• The Scenario takes place during daytime when people are at work or school
• The Scenario takes place during the night
• The Scenario takes place when you are at Home

Part 2: The Routes
Establishing the best routes in case of an evacuation can be a hard thing to do. During many large scale evacuation the evacuation takes time for several reasons; it takes time for people to get ready and meet up with family members. Other potential problems like pile ups can result in a situation when the pace of the traffic comes to a complete halt or moves very slowly. During a large scale evacuation this is a problem that will be very hard to completely avoid.

Making the Routes
• Start with selecting some Primary Meeting Points
o A natural primary meeting point is your Home; it can also be good to have a designated location close to your Home in case of events like a Fire if your house would be inaccessible.
• Select some Secondary Meeting Points
o Secondary meeting points should be easy to access and be well known by all members of a Group. The location of relatives or friends can be a good secondary meeting point.
o I also suggest that you establish a way of signaling to the other members of a party if you have been at a meeting point but had to keeping on moving. When did you arrive at the meeting point; were you alone and where are you planning to go next?
• Mark the potential routes on Maps; using markers with different colors can make them easy to view and follow. Online tools like Google Maps can also be used to establish routes.
• Add information about the Route. Where can you find potential shelters, access to water, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, motels, hostels, hazards, repair shops, do you have any stashes on the way etc.
• Try to identify Potential Choke Points like bridges, tunnels etc and potential ways around them.
• Identify key infrastructure on the routes that can possibly be affected by events. Bridges could possibly be damaged or collapse from an Earthquake and Tunnels or roads be flood by a dam break etc
• Are there community plans and routes for an evacuation? Check with your local and regional agencies. If you haven’t made a Risk Assessment also ask for their latest Risk Assessments if they have public reports.
• Has there been Previous Evacuations from your community? Are there any lessons that can be learned? How did the evacuations work?

 

[Westfalia]

Part 3: The Party
The next important step that I recommend that you take is to collect information about the members of party that can be necessary to have during and evacuation. I suggest that you list all the members and add details like
[ ] Home Phone Number and Fax Number
[ ] Home Address and Type of Housing
[ ] Mobile Phone Number
[ ] E-mail Address
[ ] Work Address and Occupation
[ ] Work Phone Number
[ ] Date of Birth
[ ] Special Medical Needs
[ ] Blood Group
[ ] Immunizations
[ ] Known allergies
[ ] Physical Description; Length, Weight, Hair, Eyes etc, a photograph can also be useful.
[ ] Skills and Education
[ ] What type of driver licenses does the person have and what vehicles can they operate?
[ ] Friends and Family (Possibly Phone Number and Address to those)

Part 4: Equipment
The needs for evacuation can come fast and without warning. There are some types of threats like a Tsunami, Dam Break, Spills from Chemical Plants or Transports, a Massive Earthquake, Melt Down in Nuclear Power Plant and other events that may require and immediate evacuation and other types of scenarios when an Early Warning can be given like with the case of Hurricanes or Blizzards.

In a worst case scenario all you might have is what you carry on your person; your Every Day Carry (EDC) or a Get Home Bag (GHB). These may not be designed for an evacuation scenario: But they may all that you have.

If an Early Warning is given it may be possible to make preparations before; go to your home, load up vehicles, get your Bug Out Bag and other supplies.
[ ] Bug Out Bag.
[ ] Extra Equipment for Vehicles; Spare Parts, Fuel, Etc
[ ] Maps, Compass and GPS
[ ] Additional Supplies: Water, Food and Clothing
[ ] Equipment required for specific Scenarios
[ ] Paperwork and Documents

Part 5: Scenarios and Risks
If you have made a Risk Assessment I also suggest that you add information about the potential hazards that you have identified that could require an evacuation.
• Could these scenarios affect Routes?
• Is there any particular additional equipment that could be critical?

Part 6: Standard Operating Procedures
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are different types of standardized means of approaching a potential problem. Creating SOP:s in a Bug Out Plan can be a way of training for different types of problems and challenges. Examples of SOP:s can be to train radio commutations and decide what frequencies or channels that the party will use and always make sure that walkie-talkies work before leaving with vehicles. Other procedures can be to have a checklist so that one can check that all equipment has been loaded.
• How to make Contact and Communications
• SOP:s for Equipment Check, Radio Check etc.
• SOP:s for how to make Decisions or the Chain of Command
How does the Group make decisions? Is one person in charge or do the group make decisions together? Create routines.
• SOP:s for Travelling with Vehicles
The Distance Between Vehicles; Always Keep Windows Up, Doors locked, Keep valuables hidden, Seat Belts, Check Fuel Levels, Always park in the direction you intend to leave etc.
• SOP:s for Traveling by Foot
• SOP:s for Transportation of Injured Persons
• SOP:s for Checkpoints

Part 7: Appendix
It can also be good to have additional information attached to your Plan in an Appendix. Some suggestions for information that can be useful to have:
• Telephone numbers and addresses to hospitals, police, fire departments, CERT, The Red Cross, FEMA, local Non Governmental Organizations (NGO:s), Insurance Companies, Power Companies etc.
• Possible Alternative Forms of transportation; Airports, Trains, Boats, Subways etc. Phone numbers, websites and addresses to companies.
• It could also be good to know what the different persons plan on bringing along when it comes to equipment and have an inventory list of this in the plan.

Special Needs
Most groups will likely consist of some people that have special needs; these may be children, elderly persons, people with some type of disabilities etc. Individuals may also have special needs like glasses, hearing aids or medication. These needs must be planed for and taken into consideration when making your Bug Out Plan.

Paperwork and Documents
Having the access to documents can be very important during an evacuation scenario. If you have to evacuate your Home there is telling for sure how long it will be until you can return or if you will ever be able to. I suggest that you include paper works as a basic part of your Bug Out Plan preparations. Some examples of paper work that can be vital:
• Passports, ID, Driver Licenses, Vehicle Registration and Immunization Cards. Possibly other information like medical insurance, insurance, permits, birth certificate and other types of information.
• By scanning the paper work you can make a digital back up that you can store on some kind of device like your cell phone or USB stick. Some of this information may be private and sensitive; make sure to check out options for encryption and password protection in order to protect the information.

Distributing the Plan
A printed version a Bug Out Plan can be a good thing to have in your Bug Out Bag. A waterproof container can be good in order to protect it from the elements. If you are really serious and have the money Rite In The Rain makes water resistant copy paper than can be used with laser printers. A PDF version of the Plan can be kept on a USB stick or viewed on Smart Phones.

Summary
The Bug Out Plan is only a part of what should be your general Plan for coping with crisis and Survival Situations. In this article I have present some advice on what you can include into your own Bug Out Plan; Your Plan must be adjusted accordingly to your own specific needs and situation. You must reach the point when you feel that your plan is made by you and for your own situation. Own the process.

The aim of the Plan as I see it is twofold; the first part is to provide some options for action; the other aspect is to provide a tool to deal with unexpected events by having critical information about your group and local setting available.

Checklist for the Bug Out Plan:
[ ] The Bug Out Plan
[ ] Maps; City Maps, Topographical Maps, Road Maps, Sea Charts etc.
[ ] Passport, Driver License or ID
[ ] Birth Certificate, Immunization Card, Permits, Prescription for medicines, Medical Insurance Card, Permits etc
[ ] Cash (Bills and Coins) and Credit or Debit Car

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: The Bug In Plan

First of all: No Plan is likely to survive its first encounter with reality. A Bug In Plan can help you to deal with emergencies by providing useful information, procedures for how to deal with different types of problems and critical information like maps, phone numbers etc. This is a suggestion for a framework that you can use when you make your own plan, but this is not a one-size fits all solution for making a Bug In Plan. You may face several types of problems that are unique for your setting and situation. The Plan that you make must be made for you and by you. Own the Process.

Facing an Emergency
Natural Disasters or Man Made Disasters can result in situations when one’s life, health or property is at stake. A Disaster can cause severe problems for transportation, electricity, electronic communications, the access to gas, heating and other systems that most people rely on an everyday basis and take for granted. Most modern appliances like phones, computers, lights, heating, refrigeration, air condition and even water pumps can cease to function in this type of scenarios. Bugging In refers to the tactic of minimizing the impact that such an event may have for you. Many situations do not have to result in a life or death situation if you simply have a plan and the means to deal with them.

A disaster rarely disrupts all functions in a society even if this is a possibility. Functions are often brought back relatively fast after a disaster, power companies can often be able to make repairs relatively quick etc. But some natural disasters like the 2006 Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, The Haiti Earthquake and the recent Japanese Tsunami are event that have affected and will continue to affect entire regions for long periods of time. Disasters can also have a long lasting impact on local areas. In most crisis and survival situations life may completely or partly keep on going as normal – school, work and other activities may continue even if massive damage has been dealt to a community. The magnitude of disasters is not only total devastation or normality; therefore I suggest that you try to have a sliding scale approach in your Bug In Plan.

Normality
During your everyday life you can often get Early Warnings for potential disasters like hurricanes by following the news and your local weather prognosis. How much time you should spend on following the events around the world is a matter of personal preferences; you can just make a quick check every morning and having a weather application for your Smartphone or computer; or you can spend basically an unlimited amount of time checking multiple international, regional and local news media. Another potential important source of information is your local or national crisis management agency like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
[ ] Check the Weather Forecast and News Every Morning

Increased Preparedness
Some types of disasters like storms, Hurricanes and Blizzards may be foreseen before they actually take place. In these cases an Early Warning may be given by authorities or other sources that may allow for Preparations to be made. In these types of situations it is however very common that people ignore or downplay the threat; it’s hard for people to really perceive a hurricane as a threat if the warning is given several days before it hits when the sun is shining and the weather is great.
[ ] Follow the Development of the Situation
[ ] Make a timeline for what information that you have received, at what time and from what source.
[ ] Inform Friends and Family about the ongoing Situation
[ ] What you know about this type of Situation or Threat? Make some basic research to learn more about how this type of situation and what you can do to minimize the potential impact.
[ ] Check if there are any plans made by local, regional or national crisis management agencies for how to deal with this type of situation.

Alert
At some situations it can become clear that a situation will become a real problem and that it will affect you. In this case you should make all the preparations that you can to minimize the impact.
[ ] Continue to Follow the Development
[ ] Continue to make a timeline for the ongoing development
[ ] Check in with friends and family. How are they are planning to deal with the situation? Do they require any help or is there anything they can do to help you?
[ ] Make Preparations to minimize the potential Consequences
[ ] Check Supplies and your Inventory. Is there and field where you should increase your capability?

Bug In
A few types of scenarios may make it necessary to stay indoors in the Home. A catastrophic pandemic, massive civil unrest, a blizzard or a chemical or radioactive release may make require this approach for short or long periods of time. This represents the most extreme action required; most situations are not likely to require such drastic actions.

Part 1: The Risk Assessment
I suggest that as the first part of your Bug In Plan should be your Risk Assessment. A Risk Assessment is an attempt to find and classify Risks in a systematical manner by trying to judge the potential Consequences and how Likely a certain risk is.

This Assessment will give you an idea of potential threats that you may face, how likely they are and what consequences they might have. From this perspective you can start to action in order to minimize the potential impact of the Risks and acquire knowledge, skills and equipment that may allow you to cope with them in a better way. There are always Risks that may not be possible to foresee, but making an Assessment can help you to avoid some of the threats that you may face. Your setting will affect your vulnerability to these Risks; your type of housing, how high your Home is located above sea level, insulation etc. Dependencies on gas or district heating are other examples of factors that can make you vulnerable to certain types of Risks.

After you have made you’re Risk Assessment its time that you ask yourself what kind of capacity that you want to have in order to deal with different kind of emergencies or disasters. Some questions that can be relevant:
• How long do you think that you may have to be able to cope without external assistance?
• What kind of Skills and Knowledge may help you to overcome these events?
• What type of Equipment and Gear can be useful to deal with these threats?
• What kind of solutions is most effective for your specific setting and situation?
• How much of your time and income are you willing to invest in being prepared?

Part 2: The Group
In the second part of the Plan I suggest that you gather information about the members of your household, friends and other people that are important to you. This information can help you to get in contact with them and make you aware of potential medical needs they may have during an emergency or how you should contact if anything would happen to them.
• Home Phone Number and Fax Number
• Home Address and Type of Housing
• Mobile Phone Number
• E-mail Address
• Work Address and Occupation
• Work Phone Number
• Date of Birth
• Special Medical Needs
• Blood Group
• Immunizations
• Known allergies
• Physical Description; Length, Weight, Hair, Eyes etc, a photograph can also be useful.
• Skills and Education
• Access to Specific Equipment
• What type of driver licenses does the person have and what vehicles can they operate?
• How should you contact if anything would happen to them? Write down the name of the persons and contact information like Phone Number, E-mail and Address.

Part 3: Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
How will you maintain your every day needs like Water, Food, Cooking, Trash Disposal, Hygiene and Sanitation, Light, Communications, Emergency Power during the types of Risks that you have identified? I suggest that you create Standard Operating Procedures, or in other words standardized solutions for how to deal with different types of needs. Here you can include predures for anything from where and how you can gather and purify water, how you will prepare food without electricity or gather information about an ongoing event.

Examples of SOP:s for a Bug In Plan
• Monitoring an ongoing Crisis
Create a Timeline: What has Happened? When Did You receive This Information? From what Source did you receive This Information? Multiple sources: The Media, Radio, TV, FEMA, Local Crisis Management Agencies etc.
• Communications with Friends and Family
Cell Phone, Social Networks, CB or HAM Radio, Landline etc
• CBRN Management and Preparedness
Closing Ventilation, Closing Doors and Windows. Using towels and or tape to seal cracks around doors or windows.
• Collecting and Purifying Water
Extra Water Containers, Water BOB, Water Purification Filter, Water Purification Tablets, How much bleach to use in order to disinfect water etc
• Emergency Toilets and Hygiene – Routines
Same people using the same toilets, where to put waste, hand sanitation, routines for how often to clean facilities etc.
• Loss of Electrical Power
Eat food that need refrigeration first, Light Sources, How to receive news (Battery powered radio or other alternative solutions) etc
• Fire Safety
Fire Escapes / Fire Drills / Evacuation, Fire Alarms, Where can extinguishers be founds etc
• Staying Warm
Heaters, Warm Clothing, Extra Blankets, Sleeping Bags etc

 

[Westfalia]

Part 4: Getting Home
Disasters may strike at any time; most people spend much of their time either at work, school or some other type of daytime activity. If disaster strikes and you are far away from home it can be good to make preparations that may help you to get back home. This Plan should not only be for you but also for other family members. If you have children, elderly or disabled members in the household how where will they be picked up and how can they be transported? I also suggest that you make some meeting points, one primary and one secondary.

Communications
Communications is another critical aspect. How would you communicate? Phones or Cell phones is normally the easiest way of communications since most people often carry their Cell Phones with them at all times. Social Networks, E-Mail, CB-Radio or Ham-Radio could be other alternatives forms of communication.

Get Home Bag
A Get Home Bag (GHB) is a tool designed to provide you with the tools you may need to deal with everyday problems, emergencies and situation when you have to make back home during a disaster. A Get Home Bag may be the bag that you carry with you at all times with some additional equipment to cope with an emergency or a specific bag that you keep at your work place on in your vehicle. Having a GHB can be a great resource, but in a worst case scenario you may have to make do with the items that you carry on your person; this is equipment is often referred to as and Every Day Carry (EDC).

Distance from Home
If you and your family members live close to your work place, school or other types of day activities getting everyone back home do not have to be a very complicated process. But if you work a long distance from Home, or possibly work in another area or town during the weeks this may be a more difficult process. How much efforts you must put into this type of preparedness depends on your own situation.

Transportation and The Routes Back Home
Getting back home during an ongoing Crisis Situation can be a very easy matter if you work very close to your home, but there are also people how commute long distances and may find them far away from home if disaster would strike. Your Every Day Life must govern your own plans and efforts. I suggest that you take the following steps when you make your plan for getting back home after an emergency.
• Start with marking potential routes on Maps from your work place back to you Home; using markers with different colors can make the routes easy to view and follow. Online tools like Google Maps can also be used to establish routes.
• Try to have both a Primary means of transportation like Vehicles available and a plan for a secondary means of transport like using public transports, bikes or walking.
• Add information about the Route. Where can you find potential shelters, access to water, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, motels, hostels, hazards, repair shops, do you have any stashes on the way etc.
• Try to identify Potential Choke Points like bridges, tunnels etc and potential ways around them.
• Identify key infrastructure on the routes that can possibly be affected by events. Bridges could possibly be damaged or collapse from an Earthquake and Tunnels or roads be flood by a dam break etc

Part 5: Budget
Having an Emergency is also a vital part of your Bug In Plan. A Disaster can cause direct economical los to your Home and other belongings; it may result in injury, destroy businesses and put people out of work. All these type of events require that you have some forms of emergency funds that can be used to cover expenses like rent, fuel, food, medical bills etc. Having the proper form of medical Insurances, Insurances for your Home that cover Natural Disasters etc may also be critical.

Reducing your Loans and Debt are also actions that give you a more solid financial situation if you have to deal with an emergency. This budget may also be of great use for other situations like a job loss, unexpected expenses or home repairs.

I also suggest that you try to keep a medium amount of cash at hand so that you can pay for your needs if you are dependent on a credit or debit card in case of black out. Make sure that you have a safe place to store your cash, other valuables and important documents to prevent theft or the loss of these from hazards like fire. A safe can be a good alternative if you can afford it, a Bank safety deposit box can be another alternative or complement.

Part 6: Inventory
Having an Inventory of your supplies makes it easy to know what you have available during a Crisis Situation and this can also help you to plan and organize your preparedness efforts. There are many ways of organizing your inventory; one way can be to organize it into different categories like:
[ ] Water and Food
[ ] Cooking
[ ] Warmth – Blankets, Sleeping Bags, Warm Clothing
[ ] Alternative form of Heating source: Wood Stove, Heat-Pal, Kerosene Heater, Candles,
[ ] Medical Supplies and First Aid
[ ] Light
[ ] Equipment to Start a Fire
[ ] Fire Safety
[ ] Cash, Important Documents, Family Photos etc
[ ] Tools
[ ] Equipment for Repairs
[ ] Emergency Sanitation and Hygiene
[ ] Energy – Generator, Extension Cords, Spare Parts and Fuel, Solar Chargers for batteries etc

For more suggestion on what kind of supplies that can be useful to have during an Emergency check out the article: Equipment for Your Home – Checklist.

Part 7: The Transportation and Logistics Plan
A Disaster can temporarily disrupt the access to fuel and other types of transportation so it can be vital to have a Plan for how to deal with your day to day transportation needs and if there would be a need to transport a wounded friend or family member to a hospital.

I suggest that you both have a Primary and Secondary means of transportations in your Bug In Plan, a primary mean can be vehicles or trucks; examples of secondary means can be motor cycles, bikes, walking or public transport. Also make sure that you know what types of public means of transport that is available in your area like subways, trains, buses, airports and make sure that you have phone numbers and contact information to these companies.

Vehicles
• Primary means of Transportation – Cars, Truck etc
• Secondary Means of Transportation – Public Transport, Bikes, Motorcycles, Walking etc

Fuel is one of the things that often becomes scares after a disaster and is used as fuel for vehicles, generators and heating. I suggest that you try to keep at least the equivalent of full tank of gas for your Vehicle Available. Fuel is flammable and must be stored safely; make sure to check your local recommendations and rules for storage. Fuel and Gasoline must also be rotated on a regular basis, since it deteriorates over time, even stabilizers can increase the shelf life of fuel. Diesel generally has a longer shelf life than gasoline and a lower flammability. Having some Spare Parts and Tools for Repairs available can also be a good idea.

Part 8: Appendix
In the appendix of the Plan you can gather important information like
• Map – City Maps, Road Map, Topographical Maps, Sea Charts etc.
• Telephone numbers and addresses to hospitals, your house doctor, Police Department, Fire Departments, CERT, The Red Cross, FEMA, local Non Governmental Organizations (NGO:s), The Red Cross, Insurance Companies, Power Companies, Gas Companies etc.
• Contact Information to Alternative Forms of transportation; Airports, Trains, Boats, Subways etc. Phone Numbers, Websites and Addresses to companies.
• Phone Numbers and Contact Information to friends, people at work, contacts etc. Write down information like phone numbers, e-mail address, birthday, home address and what they do for a living and if they have any specific type of skills.
• Articles, Books and other type of reference materials.

Specific Needs
Many people can have special needs like a Wheelchair for getting around, Glasses, Insulin for diabetes, Heart medication or hearing aids. Make sure that your plan Include this specific needs.

So What Would You Include In Your Own Bug In Plan? What did you like about the article, what didn’t you like and what would you like to add?

 

[PapaTony]

Boy, I got a lot of catching up to do!

Thanks for the reading material!

 

[Westfalia]

Your welcome! If you have any questions or suggestions for improvements just send me PM or E-mail.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Urban Bug Out Bags

More and more people live in cities; today around half of the world’s population live in cities. Within the Survivalist and Prepper community a rural setting is often described as the ideal location for dealing with a Crisis or survival Situation. But for many an Urban setting is the situation that they will have to cope with during a disaster and this article will discuss some of the aspects when building a Bug Out Bag for an Urban environment.

Many modern large cities often don’t produce all the gods that the inhabitants use and the local area around the cities are not sufficient for producing basic goods like food for the inhabitants and it must be imported from other regions or countries. But this is not a unique situation for cities; many rural settings today the inhabitants are also heavily dependent on gods to be transported large distances like medication, tools, food, electronics, fuel and other necessities. However, large cities often have other advantages like
• More specialized medical care available
• More specialized skills and professions
• More resources to deal with emergencies
• More work opportunities

An Urban environment can present different challenges than one would encounter in a wilderness setting. For this reason an Urban setting may require another set of skills, knowledge and equipment in order to deal with emergencies, disasters and survival situations. The high population density of a city can result in a large amount of wounded and killed people if natural or man-made disaster would take place. Some examples of this are the chemical release in Bhopal, India, Hurricane Katrina and The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

How Far May You Have To Go?
If you are building a Bug Out Bag for an Urban setting I would recommend that you try to build a kit and plan to deal with three types of potential Situations:

1.) An Evacuation from the City
This is a relatively uncommon type of disaster but can become necessary in scenarios like a Hurricane or a large scale disaster in a chemical or nuclear plant. In this case the kit should supply you with the basic equipment and supplies to accomplish this task.

2.) An Evacuation from your Home to another location within the City
Relatively few disasters require entire cities to be evacuated. A more common form of event is that smaller areas within cities may have to be evacuated; a typical example is fires in buildings that can completely destroy a house or smaller area. In this case you will not have to leave the city but simply find alternative housing like a motel, hotel or a room at a friend or family member.

3.) As a Tool for Search and Rescue
If a disaster would take place you do not personally have to be among the wounded and directly affected but other might be like friends, family members or complete strangers. In this case it’s good if your Bug Out Bag can provide some tools for these tasks.

The Personal Aspect of Preparedness
The Bug Out Bag is only a small part of being prepared for an Evacuation. Your personal Knowledge, Health and Physical Fitness and Skills and Experience is also critical aspects. Having a Bug Out Plan for what to do is also an important aspect.

Knowledge
Know your terrain and setting is very important. Where can you find hospitals, police departments, fire departments, hostels and hotels? What areas are normally dafe to travel? Are there areas where it is not safe to travel? What areas are mostly affected by crime and other problems? What risks and hazards do you face in your setting? What type of climate and seasonal variation do you face? What kind of landmarks can be seen in and where are they located? What types of transportation is available like trains, air-ports, ports, subways and highways?

Health and Physical Fitness
An emergency may prove to be a difficult situation to deal with physically. In a worst case scenario you may have to travel long or short distances by foot carrying the equipment that you plan on taking with you, you may have to run in order to get away from threats or lift heavy object like wounded people or debris.

Your physical fitness may most importantly increase your health and let you live without diseases like diabetes or heart disease. Working out on a regular basis also reduces stress and increases your feeling of wellbeing. Find an activity that fits you and try to work out at least three times per week. Also make sure to visit a doctor for regular health checks and a dentist to fix any problems you may have with your teeth. Immunization may also reduce the chance that you may contract infections like hepatitis, cholera or tet**** in the aftermath of a disaster.

Skills and Experience
The wilderness presents other type of challenges compared to city. You still have the same basic needs like shelter, water and food but the means to provide these needs will most likely be very different. First Aid is a skill that is useful in order to deal with everything from small cuts to traffic accidents or large scale disaster, this like all other skills must be practiced on regular basis if you want to be able to use them properly when it really matters, having a first aid kit in your pack that you don’t know how to use is not enough. If you live in a city where several languages are spoken I would recommend that you consider learning the most common ones as best you can. All cities have their own special traditions and customs, street smart and having a deeper understanding of the environment where you live is also connected to experience and is not just simply about knowledge.

Basic Equipment and Every Day Carry
Most people carry at least some equipment on their person. When you build your Bug Out Bag you should take this in consideration so that the equipment you carry on your person complements the equipment that you choose to get for your BOB.

Cell Phone
A Cell Phone can be a valuable tool for communication in an Urban Setting. A Smartphone like the iPhone can be an even more useful tool that can help you get access to e-mail, the internet, find your position with a GPS and store digital copies of important documents. If you keep important documents on your phone remember to protect the information using a password and consider encryption of sensitive files. A Cell Phone can be an invaluable tool but during large scale disasters it’s not uncommon that the grid gets overloaded and it can become very difficult or even impossible to reach others. The runtime of Smartphone’s is often relatively low so it can be a good idea to include an extra battery and charger in your BOB. Other alternatives can be a solar charger like the Solio Classic.

Wallet
In your wallet you carry many of the tools necessary for everyday life like Cash (Bills and Coins), a Credit or Debit Card, ID Card, Driver License, Permits, Passport, Immunization Card, Medical Insurance Card etc. There are also special tool kits that you can add to your wallet like credit card sized tools from Victorinox and Tool Logic. If you live in an area where robbery is common it can be good not to carry all your cash in one location and even get a fake wallet with an old id-card and some small bills and coins. There are also concealed solutions like money belts and ankle wallets that may be worth considering.

Survival Knives
A knife is a tool that can be invaluable in many situations. In cities the legal aspect is very important. What types of knives that is allowed varies from country to country and sometimes also between regions or states. What types of knives is legal to carry in your setting and where it is legal to carry? This is important aspects that you should take into consideration when picking a knife for your Bug Out Bag and Every Day Carry (EDC). Personally I would recommend a Swiss Army Knife or Multi-Tool for EDC since they have many uses both for emergencies but also in other situations. If the legal restrictions where you live are very strict you might consider getting a strap cuter like the Gerber Strap Cutter or Benchmade Houdini or carrying a compact scissor.

Clothing
Your clothing provides your shield against the elements and it’s important that your clothing can withstand the temperatures and climate where you live. I recommend that you choose footwear that is comfortable, have some resistance to water and that you can run in for medium distances if you would have to. For Every Day Carry base layers, t-shirts and socks made from merino wool can give you clothing that provides performance even if they get wet. Many companies that make shell clothing also make functional clothing with a design more suitable for Urban use if want to get functional clothing for Every Day use. Do not only pick your clothing for function, blending in your environment is also an important aspect. Being dresses as a hiker in an urban setting may look a little odd.

 

[Westfalia]

Setup 1: Example of an Urban Bug Out Bag
Total Weight Backpack: 7,578kg (16,7 pounds)
Total Weight ankle Wallet: 0,053kg

Backpack 1,87kg
[ ] Kifaru X-Ray 1870g

Shelter and Clothing 0,34kg
[ ] Surviva Jak 60g
[ ] TurtleSkin Search Gloves 280g

Light 0,101kg
[ ] Sunwayman M10A Flashlight (52g+23g) 75g
[ ] 2 Extra AAA Batteries (23g+23g) 46g

Fire 0,139kg
[ ] Zippo Blue Lighter 80g
[ ] Zippo Lighter Pouch 59g

Survival Knife 0,15kg
[ ] Fällkniven Police Rescue Knife (PRK) 150g

Pocket Survival Kit 0,12kg
[ ] ESEE Izula Gear Wallet E&E 120g

Water 3,2kg
[ ] Camelback 3 Liter Water Bladder (3000g+201g) 3201g
[ ] Katadyn Mini Water Purification Filter 210g

Food 0,684kg
[ ] Mainstay 3600 Emergency Food Ration 684g

Navigation and Communication 0,337kg
[ ] City Map or Topographical Map 100g
[ ] Cammenga Tritium Wrist Compass 37g
[ ] Icom IC-R6 Radio Scanner 200g

First Aid and Hygiene 0,435kg
[ ] Lifesystems Event First Aid Kit 293g
[ ] OHSO Travel Toothbrush 49g
[ ] 2 Charmin To Go – Travel Toilet Tissue (28g+28g) 56g
[ ] Sea To Summit Wilderness Wash Hand Sanitizer 40ml 37g

Other 0,202kg
[ ] Cash
[ ] Cell Phone Charger or Extra Battery
[ ] Rite-In-The-Rain Notebook 4” x 6” 90g
[ ] Fisher Trekker Space Pen 112g

Ankle Wallet 0.053kg
[ ] Tatonka Skin Secret Pocket 40g
[ ] Cash
[ ] Extra ID or Extra Credit Card 5g
[ ] BCB Button Compass 4g
[ ] ESEE Escape and Evasion Ceramic Razor 4g

Summary Setup 1
The first setup is an example built upon a medium sized backpack from Kifaru. The bag contains a Surviva Jak, a jacket made by the same type of material as an Emergency Blanket and a pair of protective gloves. The setup contains a compact flashlight from Sunwayman that uses a single AA battery, two extra batteries, a Zippo storm lighter and a fixed blade rescue knife from Fällkniven. The setup also contains a three liter water bladder from Camelbak, a small water purification filter, some emergency rations from Mainstay and a radio scanner from I-Com. A City Map or Topographical Map and a wrist compass with tritium lights provide some tools for navigation.

As a backup if you would lose your pack the setup also contains a small wallet that can be worn under your trousers. This small wallet can be filled with some extra cash, an id-card or passport, a button compass and a small blade.

Setup 2 – Two Bags Bug Out System
Backpack Total Weight: 6,317kg (13,9 pounds)
Rolling Bag Weight: 5,35kg (11,8 ponds) + A change of Clothing and a Hygiene Kit

Bag 1: Backpack 1,9kg
[ ] Arcteryx Arrakis 40 1900g

Shelter and Clothing 0,512kg
[ ] Merino Wool Buff 54g
[ ] Montane Featherlite Velo H20 Jacket 150g
[ ] Montane Atomic DT Pants 200g
[ ] Adventure Medical Kits SOL Emergency Bivvy 108g

Light 0,97kg
[ ] Fenix TK-60 D-Cell Flashlight (407g+140+140+140+140) 967g

Fire 0,014kg
[ ] BIC Lighter 14g

Survival Knives 0,257kg
[ ] Leatherman Charge ALX Black Multi Tool 235g
[ ] Fällkniven U-4 Wolf Tooth Folding Knife 22g

Pocket Survival Kit 0,17kg
[ ] BCB Combat Survival Kit 170g

Water 1,399kg
[ ] Klean Kanteen 1200ml (199g+1200g) 1399g

Food 0,668kg
[ ] Mainstay 2400 468g
[ ] 4 Honey Stinger Energy Bar (50g+50g+50g+50g) 200g

First Aid 0,202kg
[ ] BCB Lifesaver 1 First Aid Kit 202g

Navigation and Documents 0,205kg
[ ] City Map / Topographical Map 100g
[ ] Recta DP 6 Compass 55g
[ ] Sangean DT-120 Radio (56g+11,5g) 67,5g
[ ] Passport
[ ] Immunization Card
[ ] Medical Insurance Card
[ ] Cash

Bag 2: Rolling Bag 4,03kg
[ ] Maxpedition Rolling Carry-On Luggage 4030g

Change of Clothing
[ ] Base Layer
[ ] Underwear
[ ] Socks
[ ] Pants
[ ] Shirt

Sleeping 1,32kg
[ ] Haglöfs LIM 50 Sleeping Bag 460g
[ ] Exped Down Mat 7 860g

Hygiene
[ ] Tooth Brush
[ ] Tooth Paste
[ ] Dental Floss
[ ] Soap and Shampoo
[ ] Comb
[ ] Razor
[ ] Shaving Cream
[ ] Skin Care Lotion
[ ] Sun Block
[ ] Wet Wipes
[ ] Painkillers and Anti-Diarrheal Tablets
[ ] Travel Towel
[ ] Special Personal Needs; Medication, Extra Pair of Glasses etc.

Summary Setup 2
The second Setup is an example where the most critical Survival Equipment is carried in an Backpack while a secondary bags contains a change of clothing, a thin sleeping bag that can be used for low temperatures outside or indoors and an inflatable sleeping mattress that makes it relatively comfortable to sleep even on a hard and cold surface.

The Backpack contains some ultra light shell clothing that makes it easy to avoid getting wet if you have to walk outside in hard weather, a Powerful D-Cell Flashlight excellent for Search and Rescue or Signaling, a Multi Tool in combination with a very compact folding knife. The Rolling Bag could also be used to include other personal equipment like a Laptop, charger and other equipment that most people are likely to take with them if they would have to leave their home.

Conclusion
These setups are just examples intended to give you some inspiration when building your own kit, the kit YOU build must make sense for your personal setting, climate and situation. There are thousands of products on the market to choose from; find products that perform the tasks that you need them to perform and fit your budget. One Size Does Not Fit All.

So what do you thin and what would you add to this article?

 

[Burt Gummer]

Excellent information and much appreciated. I would add lumber to the list of home items. Didn't see that listed anywhere. 3/4" plywood, 2x4s, 3" deck screws, supports. One of the first things that will fly off the shelves when SHTF. In a bug-in situation they will be needed.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Bug Out Bags for Women

The Survivalist is often envisioned being a man. But many of those how are Survivalist or Preppers are women, blogs like The Survival Mom is just one example of this. Both men and women has the same basic need when it comes to Survival so the other articles about Bug Out Bags are just as relevant to women as to men. The purpose of this article is mainly to show discuss the small difference that exists between women and men and show some of the products that are especially designed for women.

It’s up to you
First of all: A Bug Out Bag is a tool. It provides you with some equipment that can make it easier to deal with emergencies and disasters. But You matter more than Your Bug Out Bag and Your Equipment. A Bug Out Bag is not very useful if you lack the skills and experience to use the items that you carry in it or the strength and physical fitness required to carry it.

Health and Physical Fitness
Women in general have less muscle mass and a higher percentage of fat on their bodies compared to men. Some experts make the general assessment that men should not carry more than one third of their body weight and women no more than one forth of their body weight. Women in general have a harder time to build as much muscles as men, this does not however mean that women cannot improve their strength to a high degree; you can improve the load that you can carry and the distance you can carry it drastically with the right training and diet. I suggest that you try to find forms of training that both increase your strength and stamina. There are also large individual differences; there are women that can carry heavier packs for longer distances than most men could. Women in general needs less calories per day than a man; but this is also affected by other factors like age, metabolism, muscle mass and weight.

Skills and Experience
When it comes to skills and experiences only your own interests and desire to learn new skills is the only limit. Women can learn the same skills and get the same experiences as any man could. This is as I view it the most critical aspect of your efforts. Your Pack and Equipment can get lost or may not be with you when you need them. Your skills and experience is always with you. Here knowing your strengths and weaknesses is also critical; if you can’t walk ten miles without a pack you won’t be able to walk 20 with a heavy pack.

Equipment designed for Women
Basically all survival equipment works just as well for as for men. There are some pieces of equipment that are designed for women. One example is the Fällkniven WM-1 is a Compact Fixed Blade Survival Knife. The WM-1 is designed to be used by women and people with small hands. Some other companies have simply taken products that they already make and changed the color of the handles to pink in order to market them to women. Just like changing the color of cover of computer or iPhone it does not change the performance of the product, even if a knife with a pink handle is much easier to find in the terrain if you would drop it compared to a knife with a black “tactical” handle. Some examples of knives that are available with pink handles or blades are the Benchmade Mini Griptilian, SOG Flash 1 Pink, Kershaw Scallion Pink, Spyderco Native Pink and the ESEE Izula.

Clothing
Merino wool is one of the best materials that you have when it comes to survival and crisis situations. It does not cool your body like cotton when it gets wet, it dries quickly, it’s resistant to odors and it does not melt and burn like base layers made from synthetic materials. The only disadvantage as I see it is that products made from merino wool are relatively expensive. Some companies like Icebreaker and Smartwool actually has more products available for women than men, and they also have products that has a design that makes them a good alternative to carry on an everyday basis and not just for Bug Out Bags. In short: You do not have to sacrifice comfort for looks, something that is not as easy if one is a man and wants to buy products from these companies. You can find all types of products made from merino wool like tops, socks, base layers, underwear, dresses and caps.

Your clothing must be adjusted to you particular climate, terrain, setting and season. A set of clothing that works well for an Urban Desert setting does not work very well in an Arctic Wilderness setting. Shell Clothing provides a good shield against wind, rain and snow and also “breathes”. If you have a shell jacket and shell pants you can often make do without rain clothing. There are however extreme situations when rain clothing may be better than shell clothing. Shell clothing lacks insulation so you must get base layers and mid layers as insulation. This concept makes it possible to vary your clothing according to season, weather and temperature by simply changing how many layer you use. A poncho can be good but it can be good to get a pair of light weight rain trousers as a complement.

Your footwear is a critical aspect if you have to make an evacuation on foot or if you have to walk long distances. Get the best hiking boots that you can afford and high quality merino wool socks in combination with a pair of thicker wool socks. Breaking in the boots is also critical; otherwise you risk getting blisters after walking only a short distance.

Suggestion for Clothing:
[ ] Shell Jacket
[ ] Heavy Duty Pants or Shell Pants
[ ] Gloves
[ ] Scarf, Shemag of Buff
[ ] Cap or Hat
[ ] Short Sleeve Base layer
[ ] Mid layer
[ ] Thin Merino Wool Hiking Socks
[ ] Thick Wool Socks
[ ] Hiking Boots

 

[Westfalia]

Bug Out Bag for Women: Suggestion For a Setup
Total Weight Bug Out Bag: 9,723kg (21,4 pounds)

On Person
[ ] Watch: Suunto Lumi 64g
[ ] Vargo Titanium Emergency Whistle 3g

Backpack 2,72kg
[ ] Osprey W Xenon 70 2540g
[ ] Exped Drysacks Medium (8 liters) and Large (13 liters) (52g+66g) 118g

Shelter and Clothing 2,78kg
[ ] Buff Slim Fit 30g
[ ] Haglöfs Ozo Q Pullover Jacket 155g
[ ] Haglöfs LIM Q Pants 265g
[ ] 2 Pairs of Icebreaker W Hike Lite Merino Wool Socks
[ ] Exped Downmat 7 S 780g
[ ] Sleeping Bag: Mountain Hardware W Wave III 1550g

Light 0,04
[ ] 4Sevens Preon 1 (17g+11,5g) 29g
[ ] 1 Extra AAA Battery 11,5g

Fire 0,037kg
[ ] Fire Steel: Light My Fire Mini and Striker 14g
[ ] BIC Lighter 14g
[ ] 2 Pieces of WetFire Tinder (4,5g+4,5g) 9g

Survival Knives 0,135kg
[ ] Fällkniven WM-1 Fixed Blade Knife 70g
[ ] Victorinox Climber Swiss Army Knife 85g

Pocket Survival Kit 0,151kg
[ ] Adventure Medical Kits SOL Scout 151g

Water 2,278kg
[ ] Camelbak Antidote Reservoir 2 liter (2000g+200g) 2,2kg
[ ] Water Purification Filter: Camelbak Fresh Reservoir Filter 28g
[ ] Water Purification Tablets: Lifesystems Chlorine Dioxide Tablets 50g

Food 0,904kg
[ ] 6 Mountain House Freeze Dried Rations (108g per ration) 648
[ ] 3 Maxim Femiline Protein Bar (40g per bar) 120g
[ ] Honey Stinger Energy Chew (50g per bag) 100g
[ ] Vargo Titanium ULV Spoon / Fork / Knife Set 36g

Hygiene and First Aid 0,431kg
[ ] Pierrot Oral Care Set 154g
[ ] Sea To Summit Light Toiletry Bag Small 80g
[ ] Metolius Hand Repair Balm 14g
[ ] Sea To Summit Body Wash 90g
[ ] MSR Medium Packtowl Personal Medium 50g
[ ] GoGirl 43g

Navigation and Other Equipment 0,247kg
[ ] Cammenga Phosphorescent Wrist Compass 37g
[ ] Topographical Map 100g
[ ] Fisher Space Pen Bullet 20g
[ ] Rite-In-The-Rain Notebook 4” x 6” 90g
[ ] Passport
[ ] Immunization Card
[ ] Cash (Some bills and coins)

Summary Suggestion for a Setup
The total weight of this setup land just under 10 kilograms. Both the sleeping bag and sleeping mattress are designed to withstand rather low temperatures. Other equipment like the Shell Jacket, Shell Pants, Flashlight and the Fire Starter Kit is chosen to minimize weight. Combining the Fällkniven WM-1 and the Victorinox Climber you get the strength and reliability of fixed blade full tang knife in combination with the versatility of a Swiss Army Knife. The Pocket Survival Kit from SOL contains some critical items that you can keep on your person at all times in case you would be separated from your pack. The Hygiene Kit contains some basic items and could be complemented with other necessities, The GoGirl is an urination tool for women so that they can go anywhere they like, cutting a soda bottle just under the neck of the bottle can work as a low budget version.

This suggestion, like all other suggestions for setups is simply intended to give you some ideas and inspirations when building your own Bug Out Bag. There are an almost unlimited amount of items on the market to choose from; choose items that fits your needs and budget.

If you are planning to Bug Out together with others as a Group you will also have to find solutions for shelter and cooking for the Group. If you are just building a Bug Out Bag for one person you might want to consider a light weight tent like the Hilleberg Akto (1600g) or the Terra Nova Laser Ultra 1 (581g). A Hennesy Hammock could be another alternative. Multi Purpose Shelters like the Fjellduk from Helsport (775g) and Bivanorak from Hilleberg (520g) can be used both as bivi-bags, tarps and ponchos.

If you are looking for a light weight stove I would recommend that you get a compact gas stove like the Soto OD-1R Micro Regulator Stove (78g), MSR Pocket Rocket (86g) or Optimus Crux Lite (72g) in combination with a wind shield, light weight cooking vessels and a 100g or 220g gas tube. A Gas Stove is very easy to use and regulate the temperature, but for winter settings a multi fuel stove works better. Other equipment that can be good to include is an extra pair of footwear, GPS, a SPOT for signaling for help, trekking poles or a compact radio.

How Long Must You Be Able To Support Yourself?
A Bug Out Bag is often referred to as 72 hour kit being designed for limited amount of time designed to get you from point A to point B. If a Disaster would strike that would force you to leave your Home there is no way to know how long you will have to support yourself. It can be a question of only a few hours if you have the access to vehicle and the roads are clear, but it can also be a question of an extended period of time. Large scale disasters like an Earthquake, Hurricane or Tsunami may destroy infrastructure and the roads can be blocked by thousands of cars when whole cities are evacuated. Having an extra ID-Card / Passport, Insurance Information and your Immunization Card may also be critical during travel and in the aftermath of disaster.

A Bug Out Bag may end up being used for other tasks than this; purifying water in your Home or cooking food if the electrical grid would go down, search and rescue or other tasks. It is fully possible to build a Light Weight Bug Out Bag with much less equipment, a Bug Out Bag for an Urban Setting or Building a Bug Out Bag on a Budget.

Summary
The Bug Out Bag is only a small part of being prepared of Disasters or Crisis Situation. The Most important aspect of preparedness is your own knowledge, health and physical fitness, skills and experience and your will to survive. If you want to be prepared for an evacuation planning ahead and making a Bug Out Plan is also a good start. Choose products that you want and need for your everyday life, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities; you should use your equipment; not just keep in a pack just in case. This way you can enjoy the investment you made; learn the skills you need and find out what works and what doesn’t work for you.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Surviving Fires and Fire Safety

Fire is a double edged sword. In survival situations fire can provide heat, light, the ability to prepare food, disinfect water and comfort. As a disaster fire can destroy houses, large areas of forest and even entire cities. As a disaster fire can occur from natural causes like a lightning strike but it can also be a manmade disaster both by accident but also intentionally as arson or used as a weapon of war. More than one hundred accidental fires take place in the US every year. The vast majority of these fires took place in homes. In 2009 around 2500 people died and almost 15.000 were injured.

Your Home
A fire in your home can destroy everything that you own in just a couple of minutes. By taking some steps you can reduce the chance that a Fire takes place in your home. Examples of some steps that you should take:
• Install Fire Alarms in Your Home
Make sure that you have at least one Fire Alarm on every floor of your home as an absolute minimum.

• Evacuation
If the worst would take place what ways can you have of leave your home in a hurry? Are fire escapes available? Make sure that there is a primary and a secondary meeting point outside your home where your family can meet up.

• Fire ExtinguishersA Fire Extinguisher can help you took stop a Fire before it gets out of hand if you are lucky and react fast enough. What types of Extinguisher you choose depends on several factors but it’s important that you learn how to use an extinguisher if you get one. A Fire Proof blanket can also be a good complement to a Fire Extinguisher.

• Insurance
Making sure that you are properly insured can be critical in order to make it through the economical consequences of a fire. Make sure that you know what your insurance cover and if there are specific events when the insurance does not provide cover. In order to protect personal documents, cash, photographs and digital backups it can be a good idea to get either a fire proof safe in your home or a safe deposit box at a bank.

Minimizing the Risk that a Fire will take place
Taking steps in order to minimize the chance that a Fire might take place is also a very import step. There are periods of time like around Christmas when many people light candles in their homes; during this periods of times accidental fires are more common. Make sure that you don’t place candles so that they can easily fall down by accident. Smokers as a group are at a higher risk when it comes to accidental fires; especially those how smoke in their beds. If you smoke make sure that you take steps to minimize the risk of accidental fires. Many fires are also linked to the use of alcohol and other drugs.

 

[Westfalia]

Historical Fires - Timeline
1666 The Great Fire of London destroyed the homes of almost one hundred people living in medieval city. The number of people how died in this disaster is a debated subject.

1812 almost all of Moscow was burned so that Napoleon and the French Conquerors could not lot the city. The retreat during winter conditions would prove disastrous for the French Army.

1871 The Great Chicago Fire started on the 8th of October and would cause widespread devastation destroying homes, building and infrastructure. Almost one third to of cities inhabitants lost their homes in the disasters that were one of the worst American disasters of the century.

1871 The Great Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin devastated an enormous area, destroy several communities and is believed to have killed somewhere between 1.500 and 2.500 people. This disaster is one the deadliest fire in American history.

1902 Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago is one the worst fires in US history leaving around 600 dead.

1906 After the major Earthquake that hit San Francisco on the 18th of April a devastating fire followed that caused even more damage than the Earthquake. Many of the devastating fires were caused by ruptured gas lines but destruction was also added by the fire department how tried to limit the spread of the fire. Almost 500 hundred city blocks and several thousands of buildings were destroyed.

1923 after the Great Kanto Earthquake a severe fire followed that turned into a Firestorm. Almost 150.000 people is believed to have died; most of them from the fire.

1942 Cocoanut Grove Fire in Boston was one of the most deadly nightclub fires in history, leaving almost 500 dead.

1945 The Allies Dropped large amounts of incendiary bombs over the German city Dresden creating a Firestorm that destroyed most of the city an killed somewhere between 25.000 and 500.000 people. A Firestorm also followed after the bombing of Hamburg in 1943.

1945 The Fire Bombings against Tokyo destroys hundreds of thousands of home and kills around 100.000 people.

1967 A fire at the LÌnovtion Department Store in Brussels resulted in the death of over 300 people.

1988 The Yellowstone National Park Fire was the largest wildfire in US history leaving an area larger than 3000 square kilometers burned. During the disaster thousands of fire fighters and military personal was fighting the flames.

1988 68 youths was killed in and over 200 was wounded after a fire in a nightclub in Gothenburg. It was later established that the cause of the fire was arson.

2003 The California Cedar Fire was the largest wild fire in Californias history. The fire resulted in the death of 15 people and over 1000 square kilometers was burned leaving thousands of buildings destroyed.

2009 The Black Saturday Bushfire was the worst bushfires in Australia’s history. The fire left 147 people dead and wounded over 400. The fires took place during a period of extreme heat and little rain had fallen in the months before, strong winds also added to the destruction of the Firestorm.

Surviving Fires
The best way to survive a fire is to make sure that the fire does not take happen in the first place. Take precaution when engaging in activities that can cause a fire. If a fire would take place it’s important that you and that you act fast. A fire can spread with a very high speed – seconds count. If you can’t stop the fire - evacuate immediately and try to save those how are in harm’s way. Many modern buildings have a very high fire safety; the buildings are often constructed so that fire will be contained within different cells of the structure. But in order for this to work it is critical that doors between different areas remain closed. If you are leaving an area where there is fire and smoke close the doors behind you. This can stop or delay the spread of the fire and smoke. After you have made your escape contact first responders at once and give medical assistance to those how might need it.

When you visit different locations make sure that you know where the fire exists are located, this is not only important for accidents such as fires. If you are about enter into a nightclub or other facilities that is overcrowded and lack proper fire escapes you might want to think twice about entering. Trust your instincts. If it feels wrong, don’t go.
Smoke is one of the major killers during a fire; it is most the most common cause of death during fires. If you are indoors stay low in order to avoid inhaling smoke and poisonous gas. There are several extremely dangerous phenomena’s that can take place during fires like Firestorms, Backdrafts and Flashovers.

Wearing synthetically clothing can be very dangerous during fires; these fabrics can easily catch fire, melt and leave severe burns. Wool is much more resistant to fire and can be a good fabric to use for clothing for several reasons. Merino wool is not only resistant to fire; it also provides warmth even when wet and does not carry an odor as easily as synthetic materials. For those how like Buffs there are special fire resistant models made by Nomex on the market.

Psychological Reactions
Fire is one the disasters when the reaction denial often becomes a severe problem. Fire exercises can be a great tool for creating routines for an evacuation but many simply ignore Fire Alarms or even become angry when they hear them assuming that it is just an exercise or false alarm. This denial may continue even if smoke from the fire has been visible. It has even happened that people has hidden during fires not to be disturbed. If you hear Fire Alarm take this seriously and act accordingly.

If you engage in activities that could start a Fire
Many people do repairs in their homes using tools that can accidentally start a fire. Examples of such tools can be a weld, angle grinder, heat gun or reciprocating saw. Many might also be engaged in such activities in their professional life working with construction or contracting. Taking precautions is critical since it might prevent a fire, but not taking adequate measures to prevent a fire can also result in a situation when you become legally responsible for starting a fire or that your insurance company won’t cover the damage.

Before You Get Started
By planning ahead you can reduce the chance that an accidental fire might take place and minimize the consequences if it would. These are some steps that can be worth considering before you get started.

Contacting First Responders
What is your exact address and location? What is the best ways for the Fire Department to reach your location? What is the Phone Number to First Responders and do you have a phone or cell phone available to raise the alarm if the worst would happen?

Risk Management
Can You Reduce the Risk by changing the location? As an example if you have to cut a piece of steel pipe it might be better to move outside to a place without flammable materials instead of doing so inside a barn. Another way of reducing the risk is to change the tool; instead of using an angle grinder you might use a hand saw to cut trough a piece of metal even if it might take a little bit longer time.

Clean The Place Where Your doing the work, remove dust and all types of flammable materials. If there are materials that might catch fire from sparks that can’t be moved; cover them using Fire Proof Blankets. Spraying water over flammable materials before you get started is other method of reducing the risk that a fire will spread if you can remove the material. If there is crack in the wall, floor or other locations where you’re performing the work cover them up. It’s common especially when using tools like an angle grinder that sparks can enter small crack and start fire.

If there is a risk that your work might start a fire in a location that you can’t see from where your working make sure that you get someone that can stand guard at this location. A fire can sometimes start quite some time after you are done with your work; if you have been doing work in a high risk environment it can be good to post a Fireguard for a minimum of one hour after the work has been completed. Make sure that you have equipment to extinguish a fire available.

Conclusion
As a disaster Fire can be an absolutely devastating event. It can destroy your home and everything you own in a matter of minutes. In this article I have discussed some of the steps that you can take in order to minimize the risk that you will be affected by such an event and minimize the effect if the worst would happen. This is a subject that can critical for many groups; especially those how might have much equipment for disaster preparedness stored in their homes.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Natural Disasters - Tornado

Of all the natural disasters in the world tornadoes is the disaster that generates the highest wind speeds. A tornado is rotating storm that has a more destructive force than a hurricane but it affects a much smaller geographical area, it’s uncommon that a tornado is more than one kilometer wide.

The magnitude of a Tornado is often measured in the Fujita Scale ranging from 0 to 5. These are often referred to as an F0, F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5 with an F0 being the weakest Tornado causing only minor damage, an F5 the most powerful causing massive damage. There is also an updated version of this scale called the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

An F5 tornado can destroy even relatively strong buildings, deform a skyscraper, and pull asphalt from the roads and move vehicles and farm equipment with a weight of several tons over long distances. The damage potential is in short extreme. But much like a Tsunami a tornado can totally devastate an area only to leave structure only short distances away intact. The majority of all tornadoes take place in the Great Plain Area in the United States.

Timeline
1925 The Tri State Tornado caused massive devastation when it travelled 350 kilometers through three states; bringing destruction to over 20 cities resulting in the deaths of almost 700 people.

1974 The Super Outbreak was an event when almost 150 tornadoes was record in just two days. Over people 300 died in from the tornadoes.

1989 The Daulatpur-Saturia Tornado in Bangladesh is the Deadliest tornado in history. The Tornado hit slums and other vulnerable areas killing around 1.300 people, injuring around 12.000 and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

1999 Its relatively rare that a Tornado hits a city but The Oklahoma City Tornado is one example of such an event. The tornado produced the highest wind speeds that have ever been recorded reaching almost 500km/h. The tornado killed over 30 people and destroyed several thousand homes.

2011 The Tornado that hit Joplin was one of the worst in US history. The tornado resulted in around 160 dead and injured almost 1.000 people. The tornado caused severe damage to building an even hit the St John Regional Medical Center causing damage to the structure and the loss of power.

Survival and Preparedness
A tornado can cause massive direct damage killing individuals and destroying buildings. A tornado can also result in severe secondary damage from fire. Vital infrastructure can also be destroyed or damaged limiting the access to water, the power grid and electronic communications.

If you are confronted with a tornado immediately seek cover in the most solid protection you can find or try to avoid its path. Even if relatively few people die in tornadoes every year compared to other Natural Disasters the economical damage is enormous. Having the right insurance and an emergency budget is an important addition to other disaster preparedness efforts like having water, food, medical supplies, light and other necessities available.

Your Home
Mobile homes are especially vulnerable since they can’t withstand the enormous power of a tornado. Unventilated structures can explode from the differences in air pressure that a tornado generates. Those how live in mobile homes and other light structures are very vulnerable to tornadoes since they can easily destroy these structures. For those how live in mobile homes cars often provide a better shelter since they have a lower center of gravity and are often better designed to withstand an impact if they roll over.

Cellars and Safe Rooms
The destructive power of a tornado can often destroy building and homes. In order to survive a tornado one of the most common tactics is to seek cover underground in cellars. Another form of tactic is to build a safe room within the structure. A safe room is part of the building with a strong roof and solid walls often made by concrete or steel with a strong steel door. There are many companies that also can retrofit older buildings that were not originally built with a safe room.

Early Warnings
It’s possible to detect tornadoes using radar; from these readings it’s possible to warn people in affected areas. These warnings are often transmitted using radio. If you live in an area where tornadoes often strike being able to get this type of Early Warning can mean the difference between life and death. Many that die in tornadoes has simply been unable to receive these Early Warnings. Following the weather reports is also an important tool to get warning regarding storm and weather condition that can generate Tornadoes. Some areas also have sirens to provide warnings. Learn what how the Early Warning system in your area operates.

The visibility of a tornado can vary; during heavy rains or at very dry locations they can be hard to spot. The sound of a tornado is often very high if you are close to storm, but they can be hard to hear over long distances.

Conclusion
Tornadoes present a very destructive event for anyone that lives in an area where Tornadoes are common. Having a place to seek cover and knowing where shelter can be found is critical in order to avoid the potential damage from a Tornado. Learn how Early Warnings are given in your area and make sure that you can receive them.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Is Peak Oil Already Here?

Is Peak Oil Already Here?
The International Energy Agency is the leading international agency when it comes to forecasting the world’s future energy use. In the report World Energy Outlook the international institution presents its forecast. The first report in this series was presented in 1994. From 1994 IEA has presented a very positive outlook for future energy. In the first report from 1994 the World Oil production was expected on increase to 94 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2010. From 2002 to 2009 World Energy Outlook the forecast for oil production was expected to increase to 120-105 mb/d. In the 2008 World Energy Outlook Oil Production was expected to increase with 1% per year up until 2030. In 2010 a new analysis was presented. In this report the Peak in world production of oil was believed to have taken place in 2008 with a World Production of around 70 million barrels per day. This report suggests that Peak Oil may in fact already have taken place. If this analysis is correct it means that instead of having 20 years of additional growth in Oil Production ahead of us we may now be on the other end of Hubberts Peak. Peak Oil has been a highly debated subject for a long period of time. The future forecasts have often been described as very positive with future growth in production and reserves. Many of the researchers within the Peak Oil Movement have provided a more problematic analysis.

Oil is one of the most important commodities in today’s world. It has very energy content and is crucial for many areas like transportation, agriculture and the petrochemical industry. Research has also shown that there is a strong correlation between economical development and the access to cheap energy.

Analysis
Peak Oil is only one of many complex problems that the world may face. If we have truly reached the Peak in world oil production or not can only history show. There are a number of other problems that also interact; the world population has recently reached 7 billion people and is expected to reach 10 billion in 2050. At the same time we also have a demographical development in many rich countries with low birth rates that will produce a situation when few young will have to support and aging population. Man Made Global Warming is another trend that may also interact with these problems with more severe weather and increased water shortages in some part of the world.

It’s my guess that we may have reached or is starting to reach a point when many of the resources that our current way of life depends upon will start to decline. I do not think that we have reached this point for all natural resources but it’s possible that we have started to reach this point for some of them. If this is correct we may face a future when an increasing world population will have to make do with less and less resources and that this problem will get increasingly worse over time.

Our political and economical system is today very focused on short term profits and growth. Economical growth and increased average life span has increased for a very long period of time. This is all that our political and economical institutions know and it’s also something that is deeply rooted in all of us from the stories that’s being told throughout our societies.

During the last year we have seen a series of events around throughout the world like Arabian Spring, a severe economical crisis for some of the countries within the European Union and The Occupy Wall Street Movement. It’s my belief that these developments are symptoms at least partly related to other underlying factors like Peak Oil, The Depletion of Renewable and Non Renewable Resources, The Increasing World Population, The Demographical Development and Global Warming and that these factors may continue to put an increasing press on our political and economical system.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Peak Oil and Our Mental Models. The WikiLeaks Cable and The World’s Largest Oil Fields.

In the two previous articles on Peak Oil I have discussed the future Outlooks concerning Oil made by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). In this article I will focus on two aspects in depth. The first aspect is to focus on the World’s largest Oil Fields and see what importance they play for the world oil production. The second aspect is to focus on the secret diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks from US embassy in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

In the 2011 World Energy Outlook by the IEA the Production of Crude Oil from the oil fields that produce oil in 2010 in expected to drop by over Two-Thirds by 2035. Quote: “We project that crude oil production from fields that were producing in 2010 will drop from 69mb/to 22mb/d by 2025 – a fall of over two-thirds”. But the IEA still expects the crude world production to remain at 67,9 mb/d per day 2035 from Crude Oil Yet to be found and Yet to be developed (WEO 2011: 122-123).

The WikiLeaks Cable
In 2010 Wiki Leaks made the largest publication of classified material in history when a large number of US diplomatic cables were released. Among these cables one cable from the US Embassy in Riyadh from the 10th of December 2007 was released. This cable focus on an interview with Dr Sadad al-Husseini. Al-Husseini was formerly the Executive Vice President for Exploration and Production at Saudi Aramco, he also has Ph.D. in Geological Sciences. In this interview al-Hussseini warns that the Saudi Oil Reserves may be overstated by as much as 40%. Concerning the implication of this statement al-Husseini believes that:

“In al-Husseini’s view, once 50 percent depletion of original proven reserves has been reached and the 180 billion bbls threshold crossed, a slow but steady output decline will ensue and no amount of effort will be able to stop it. By al-Husseini’s calculations, approximately 116 billion barrels of oil have been produced by Saudi Arabia, meaning only 64 billion barrels remain before reaching this crucial point of inflection. At 12 million b/d production, this inflection point will arrive in 14 years.”

“While al-Husseini believes that Saudi officials overstate capabilities in the interest of spurring foreign investment, he is also critical of international expectations. He stated that the IEA’s expectation that Saudi Arabia and the Middle East will lead the market in reaching global output levels of over 100 million barrels/day is unrealistic, and it is incumbent upon political leaders to begin understanding and preparing for this “inconvenient truth.””

According to the cable al-Husseini describes himself as optimistic about the future outlook of energy even if he contradicts the official Aramco line. It’s clear that al-Husseini probably is one of the people in the world with the best insight concerning the future of oil production in Saudi Arabia based both on the man’s education, experience and firsthand knowledge from leading the Exploration and Production unit in Aramco.

The World’s Largest Oil Fields
The number of producing oil fields 2007 was around 70.000; in total these fields produced around 70 million barrels oil per day ( <broken link removed> ). As previously noted the IEA expects that production from fields that was producing oil in 2010 is expected to drop from 65 mb/d to 22 mb/d in 2035. But the IEA still expects new finding to replace this lost production. This raises the question about what type of future findings we can expect. So let’s take a look at the World’s Largest Oil Fields.

The Top 10 Producing Oil Fields in the World 2007
1.) Ghawar 5,1mb/d
Ghawar In Saudi Arabia in undoubtedly the King of Kings. Ghawar was discovered in 1948 and has been producing enormous amount of oils ever since. Ghawar alone has historically produced somewhere between 55-65% of all oil coming from Saudi Arabia. The Fields Peaked in its production 1980 with a production of 5,58mb/d, the production was still at an amazing 5,1mb/d 2007.

2.) Cantarell 1,6mb/d
Cantarell in Mexico is the World’s Second most producing Oil Field. The Field was discovered in 1977, peaked in its production in 2003 with a production of 2,05mb/d a figure that had dropped to 1,6mb/d in 2007.

3.) Safaniyah 1,4mb/d
Safaniyah in Saudi Arabia was discovered in 1951. The field Peaked in its production 1998 with a production of 2,12mb/d, in 2007 the production has dropped to 1,4mb/d.

4.) Rumaila 1,25mb/d
Rumaila was discovered 1953 in Iraq. The field Peaked in its production in 1979 with a production 1,49 mb/d, in 2007 the production had dropped to 1,25mb/d.

5.) Greater Burgan 1,17mb/d
This oil fields in Kuwait was discovered in 1938, the production peaked in 1972 with a production of 2,415 mb/d a figure dropped to 1,17mb/d in 2007.

6.) Samotlor 0,903mb/d
This Russian Oil Field was discovered in 1960, it Peak in its production in 1980 with an enormous production of 3,435mb/d, a figure that had dropped sharply to 0,903mb/d in 2007.

7.) Akwaz 0,77mb/d
This Iranian Oil Field was discovered in 1958 and peaked in its production in 1977 with a production just over 1 million barrels and dropped to 0,77mb/d in 2007.

8.) Zakum 0,674mb/d
This oil field in Abu-Dhabiwas discovered in 1964, peaked in 1998 at 0,795mb/d and had dropped to 0,674mb/d in 2007.

9.) Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli 0,658mb/d
This oil field in Azerbaijan was discovered in 1985 and hadn’t peaked in yet in 2007 with a production of 0,658mb/d.

10.) Priobskoye 0,652mb/d
This Russian oil field was discovered in 1982 and hadn’t peaked yet in 2007 when it has a production of 0,652mb/d.

From these figures we can see several trends. The World’s Largest Oil Fields play a very important part for supplying the world’s energy demand. The Top Ten Fields produced 14,26 mb/d; around 20% of the World’s Total Oil Production. If the next ten fields were added the figure was around 25%. In total there was around 70.000 Oil Fields producing oil in 2007 and 20 of these fields produced a fifth of all the oil (WEO 2008: 225-226).

Another fact also stands out very clear; none of these fields has been discovered recently; the ones that was discovered the latest was discovered in 1982 and 1985. Only two of these fields hadn’t reached their Peak in production in 2007; the rest where on decline. During the summer of 2011 there were big headlines concerning an <broken link removed> that is expected being able to produce up to 500-1200 million barrels of oil. Ghawar with its production of 5 million barrels of oil per day produces this amount of oil in 100-210 days. The trends of smaller and smaller findings are something often stressed by researchers within the Peak Oil movement; smaller and smaller fields of oil are being discovered even though the technological tool available to search for new fields constantly develops.

Peak Oil and Our Mental Models
If Peak Oil is truly here or not is not a question that I can answer. In this article I have lifted the trend of largest oil Fields in the World and classified information from WikiLeaks concerning the situation in Saudi Arabia. No matter what information that I present I almost always the same response; people simply agree or totally disregard the possibility of Peak Oil. One aspect that I would like to raise is mental models and mind-sets. This is one the major subjects that Richard Heuer lifts in the book Psychology of Intelligence Analysis. Heuer believes that people construct their own reality based on the information that they observe. We are influenced by many factors like cultural values, education and past experiences but also by factors like the role we are expected to fill and norms within organizations or communities (Heuer 1999: 4-5).

This is a critical aspect that is not lifted enough: We do not focus upon our own mental models. There was a time when most people believed that world was flat. Economical Growth and an increase in the standard of living has been the truth for a long period time. We expect things to get better and better, we expect that the standard of living will be higher and higher. This is one of our cultures most central ideas and a message that reach us every day from multiple sources. One things that Heuer lifts is that when a paradigm change, as the end of the cold war takes place the experts how knew the most about the subject is those how have the most to unlearn when it comes to adapting to a new reality (Heuer 1999:5). Heuer also focus on the fact that when a mental form is created and the new information is assimilated into the existing model. We continue to use models that worked well in the past long after they have become outmoded (Heuer 1999: 8-11, 73).

Analysis
If the IEA forecast concerning the fields that were producing oil 2010 turns out to be correct the production from these fields will drop by 45,9mb/d until 2035. By the same period of time Natural Gas Liquids, Unconventional Oil and Bio Fuels is expected to increase from 15,6 mb/d to 32,9mb/d, an increase with 17,3 mb/d. This would mean that we still need to bring oil fields that can produce 28,6 mb/d online just to remain on same total production that we have today of liquid fuels (WEO 2011: 122-123).

I would like to focus on some critical aspects from this information
• The positive forecast depends on two critical components
1.) The Production of alternative fuels will double during this period of time
2.) New Oil Fields will be found and developed that will able to offset the drop in 45,9mb/d in production from existing Oil Fields.
• This is assumptions that are required for this analysis to be correct.
• The analysis made by the IEA focus on a scenario when Saudi Arabia will increase their production from 10mb/d in 2010 to 13,6mb/d in 2035.

So how do the classified information from WikiLeaks and the trend concerning the World’s biggest Oil Fields fit in this projection? The IEA expects the production in Saudi Arabia to go from 10mb/d per day in 2010 to 13,9 mb/d per day in 2035. As the diplomatic cables from 2007 released by Wikileaks even al-Husseini, the former Executive Vice President for Exploration and Production at Aramco is skeptical towards this prognosis. It’s fully possible that al-Husseini is incorrect in the assessment; but the central role within Aramco and the man’s technical expertise is hard to deny.

From looking at the World Largest Oil Fields today it’s clear that the greatest findings have taken place several decades ago. New findings have taken place but none of them have the capacity of the top 20 Oil Fields producing Oil today. The Top 20 Oil Fields in the World produce around 25% of the World’s Oil; around 19,16 mb/d. If you compare this to the 45,9mb/d required to compensate for the fall from fields producing in 2010 up until 2025 it clear that we will either have to be very lucky in our explorations or find an enormous amount of small fields.

Bloggers and researchers often tend to present dramatic forecasts that get a lot of attention. Instead of doing this I would suggest that you do something else. No matter where you stand concerning the subject of Peak Oil I would suggest that you ask yourself what your mental-model of the situations is and what assumptions this model relies upon? What data challenges your assumptions and what data confirms your assumptions? From there I suggest that you make up your own mind.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Travel Safety and Travel Safety Kits

Bug Out Bags, Get Home Bags and Pocket Survival Kits is often focused on Natural Disasters and other types of severe Crisis Situations. An area that is often not discussed in the Prepper and Survivalist community is Travel Safety. Today a large number of people travel all over the world to meet new people and experience new places. The price of airline tickets are currently very low and even people on a low budget can afford to travel long distances. This article will address some of the measures you can take reduce risk while travelling. Travelling to areas where the comforts we are normally used to may not be available. This article will focus on travelling and what you can do to increase your own safety.

Context Matters
Just like with Bug Out Bags or Get Home Bags context matters when it comes to Travel Safety. The precautions you take must make sense for the journey you’re planning. If you are planning on a mountain expedition in an arctic region the measures taken will be very different from the measures you should take if you’re planning on going to large city for the holidays. Some of the factors that will affect what measures you should take:
• Are you going to an Urban or Wilderness Setting?
• What Kind of Activities Do You Plan To Engage In?
• How Long Are You Planning on Staying?
• Are You Travelling Alone or in a Group?
• Are you familiar with the Region your Traveling to?
• Can you Speak and Read The Local Language?

Making Your Research
In order to be able to take the right precautions it’s important that you know as much as possible about place you’re travelling to. I suggest that you start with researching the country’s political system and modern history
• What type of political system does country have? One good source for information is the site Freedom House that ranks countries depending on the Political Right and Civil Liberties.
• Make a basic research on the History and Cultural of the country you’re travelling to. Are there any cultural taboos that you should be aware of?
• Are there specific hazards in the region like crime, armed conflict or natural disasters? Are there any specific regions or parts of cities that should be avoided?
• If you’re travelling to another country what has the relation between your country and this country been? Have there been any recent cases of internal conflict or terrorist attacks within the country or armed conflict with neighboring countries?
• Another good idea can be to check the current domestic development by reading news reports from the country and check the state department’s recommendations for travel to this country.
• Is the water generally safe to drink or should you be drinking bottled water?
• What type of climate and weather can you expect?

Many popular places for travel have political systems that are corrupt or they can be dictatorships. This is often not something that is noticed by tourists; but if you for some reason get involved in an accident or get charged with a crime this can become a very serious problem. There can also be political protests against regimes like during the Arabian Spring or in Thailand. Other countries may also be very hard against journalists other how try to report on the abuse from regimes. If you’re travelling to such a country make sure that you are aware about if there are any specific locations where the opposition normally meets or if they carry some type of clothing or other markers to show their support for the opposition. Knowing the geography of the place you’re going to can also be critical; what type of terrain can you expect; are there any specific landmarks etc. Today tools like Google Maps can provide a free service for making this type of research.

The Basic Precautions
Before we get into the Travel Safety Kit there are some basic safety measures that should always be taken. Do you
[ ] Have the proper insurance if you would get hurt during your trip?
[ ] Have some extra cash or money if you would get stuck in the country for an extended period of time, unexpected expenses would arise or if you would have to book a new ticket back home?
[ ] Have a good understanding of the country you’re going to and the risks you’re facing?
[ ] Have you made a general physical check-up lately to make sure that you are in good health?
[ ] Have you checked you dental health and taken care of any problems?
[ ] Checked if there is any specific diseases that may require immunizations in the region? For travel to some countries having the right immunizations and an immunization card to prove it is mandatory; make your research.

One of the most common problems for people is that a trip can turn out to be more expensive than anticipated or unexpected expenses may. Airplanes can get delayed or stopped because of severe weather or even natural disasters like volcanoes. Other more common problems can be that the airline misplaces your luggage or that it gets stolen forcing you to get new basic supplies like clothing.

The health aspect is also critical; do what you can in order to minimize the risk that you will get injured or Ill during your trip and check up on your general health and dental health before you go. If you would get hurt it’s also critical that you have the right type of insurance that will cover your expenses. If you have any specific medical conditions like asthma or diabetes make sure that you bring some extra medication with you and that you bring your prescriptions for these. If the country does not share the language of your own get prescriptions translated to this language if possible to minimize complication in the customs. Also learn the name of your medical condition and medication in this language so that you can communicate with medical personal if you have to.

Clothing
The clothing you pick must be suitable for the climate and weather you will be experiencing; dressing to warm or cold can become a serious problem. Also try to wear clothing that blends in and does not attract too much attention. Avoid designer clothing and expensive brands, jewelry and expensive watches that may attract attention and make you a target. Just like when you’re going on a hike; break in your shoes before you leave. It may be tempting to get a new pair of footwear just before you go but it can mean that you will spend your trip with blisters and feet that constantly hurts.

The Plan
When planning your travel it can be a good idea to leave the details of your plan with a friend or family member so that they know how you’re planning to travel, what routes, where you’re planning to stay, when you’re planning to go and return etc. Leaving a copy of your passport, airline tickets, insurance information etc can also be a good idea.

The Travel Safety Kit
Fire Alarm / Burglar Alarm
Fire Safety is just as important when travelling abroad as in your home. There are a number of companies that makes portable Fire Alarms that you can take with you on your travels. There is also Fire Alarm that doubles as burglar alarms that can be attached to doors warning you if someone tries to enter your room, one model is made by the company Deltronic Security. A door stopper can be a good complement to a burglar alarm since it makes it harder to enter a room and gives you more time to respond to situation if someone tries to enter your room. When entering new accommodations check out what alternative routes you can use during an evacuation.

First Aid Kit and Medicines
A small medical kit that includes some plasters and disinfection wet wipes should be a part of any travel safety kit. How comprehensive your kit depends on what type of location you will be traveling to and how available medical assistance will be. A few pain killers and anti-diarrheal tablets is another good complement.

Prescription Tablets and Medication
If you need some type of prescription medication remember to include your prescriptions and if possible make sure to get the prescription in the same language that is used in country your travelling to in order to minimize problems in customs. Always bring a supply for at least a few more days than you planning to stay. This is the basics that I would recommend everyone to bring with them; but if you are going on a longer trip or engage in high risk activities like extreme sports your medical kit should be adjusted accordingly.

Protection from the Sun
If the climate is warm and sunny don’t forget to bring Sun Screen along with you. This can also be a serious problem in the arctic where the white snow reflects the rays of the sun during the spring. Remember to apply the Sun Screen before you go outside; when you start feeling pain from you burns it’s generally too late. Go for a Sun Screen that’s has the Highest Protection you can find. Protecting your eyes is also critical; especially in arctic conditions when you can get “snow blindness” if you don’t protect your eyes.

Light
A compact flashlight or headlamp is a natural part of Travel Safety Kit (TSK) and especially useful in regions where black outs is a common problem. I suggest that you get compact model that use either one AA or AAA battery since this types of batteries generally are widely available. Examples of models can be the Fenix LD-10, The Sunwayman, 4Sevens or ZebraLight. The Petzl E+Lite and Petzl Tikka2 are two compact headlights that can provide both white and red light.

Survival Knife
A knife can be a tool for many uses; from everything to open a wine bottle, a can of food, to cut your nails or more serious work like cutting a seatbelt after a car crash. Before you decide on what type of knife you should bring with you on your travel make your research; what types of knives are legal to carry and where are they legal to carry in the area you’re traveling to. Remember not to carry your knife on your person or hand luggage if travelling by plane; this normally means that you will lose the knife and you may also get in legal trouble.

A pocket knife can be a valuable tool for all types of situations. In general I recommend either a Swiss Army Knife because of the versatility they provide or a Folding Knife. A Swiss Army Knife can provide with all types of tool like a bottle opener, can opener, scissor, wine opener and blade just to name a few of the features that is often included. Swiss Army Knives are also known by most people and does not attract much attention. As a general rule I do not recommend tactical knives, double edged knives, knives with a one hand opening or assisted opening no matter of the laws in the areas your visiting simply because this type of knives easily can scare others and attract unwanted attention. If you want to bring a knife of this type I suggest that you bring another knife with a more peaceful look that you can use if you ever have to use your knife in public.

No matter what type of knife you decide to get make sure that you get a high quality model; a cheap copy can fail when you need it the most. It’s important that you can rely on your blade if you would ever need it.

There are more models of knives on the market than I can name here. As I stated before in general I would recommend a Swiss Army Knife; Victorinox and Wenger both make high quality models. Find a model that has the tools that you personally need. For folding knives I would recommend that you start with looking if there are any famous models from the country or region you’re travelling to; if there is choosing such a model can help you blend in among the public. The folding Knives from Opinel are relatively cheap, comes with wooden handles and a blade look that both that can secure the blade both when it’s out and folded back into the handle. These knives are not ideal for bush craft but works well for everything from cutting bread, food and other light work during travel. If you want a more reliable folding knife with a higher quality steel Folding Knives like the Fällkniven U-2 and Fällkniven U-4 can be interesting alternatives.

Fire
I also suggest that you include some type of items that you can help you start a fire like a simple BIC lighter or a small Fire Steel. For BOB or GHB I would suggest that you normally double up so that you have at least two methods for starting a fire; but if you’re going to a Urban area one items is often more than enough and will most likely just be used to light someone’s cigarette or a candle.

Translation
If you don’t know the language normally spoken in the area you’re travelling to writing down some common phrases and words in a notebook in combination with a pocket dictionary can be helpful. A Kwikpoint Translator can be very valuable tool to bring with you since it can allow you to communicate without words.

Pen and Notebook
A compact notebook and a pen should also be a part of any travel security kit. Before you leave I suggest that you write down information like where you can find the nearest embassy, the address and phone number to important locations like the place where you will be staying, people you know in the region etc. The Notebook can also be used to write down phrases and other information. The Fisher Space Pen Bullet and Fisher Space Pen Trekker is two relatively compact high quality pens that can be worth considering for TSK.

Sewing Kit and Repair
A small sewing kit is something that can be very useful to repair clothing. A few needles, safety pins and some strong thread is normally everything you need. There are several very compact credit card sized kits on the market if you want to be a preassembled sewing kit. If you are going on a longer expedition and may have to repair packs, boots or tents made from heavy duty materials a Speedy Stitcher can be an excellent addition. Some paracord, duct tape and super flue can also be good for travel when you won’t be able to replace broken equipment.

Other Items
Having a map of the area your travelling to can be a very valuable tool, when you don’t use the map try not to show its since it’s a quite strong indicator that you can find your way. A compact compass like the Suunto M9 or Cammenga Wrist Watch can be good for keeping your direction.

A Travel Radio can be a good tool for keeping up to date; make your research in order to know if there are any local stations broadcasting news in your language.

Cell Phones work very well in most regions; there are however places where the cell phone net does not operate. There are also countries that can have different cell phone standard than you have in your own country; this can mean that your normal cell phone won’t work. The most common problem is that it can be very expensive calling using your own number, check with your operator for the prices before you go; if the prices are high and staying for a long period of time it can be better to buy a prepaid SIM-card. The prices for sending text messages are often relatively low. Note: The prices for using data traffic from Smartphone can sometimes be enormously high; there are cases when people have gotten bills for thousands of dollars: if you have a smart phone check the prices with you operator before leaving.

If you are travelling to remote areas where Cell Phones don’t work a SPOT can be a good tool in order to signal other if you require assistance. The new generation of SPOT:s can also send messages with your progress so that your friends and relatives can see how your travel or adventures progress. Satellite phones are relatively expensive but if you have the money they can be an invaluable tool in remote areas.

Money Belts and Hidden Pockets
One of the biggest risks you’re facing is losing your equipment either from simply forgetting your pack somewhere, getting pick pocketed or mugged. This happens to many people all over the world no matter what location there travelling to. I have personally traveled with people how have lost their bag containing everything from their passport; their wallet, id, driver license, credit cards, all their cash, cell phone, the keys to their home and the keys to their accommodation. This can happen to anyone.

Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket. Separate your gear so that you have some spare cash, ID and a credit card in a separate location like an ankle pouch or money belt. If you’re travelling through an area where robbery is common it can be good idea to carry an extra wallet containing an old ID card and a little cash can be a good idea.

Pick Pockets
No matter how careful you are its very hard to protect yourself from pick pockets. Tourist are especially vulnerable since they often don’t know the terrain, where the risks are greatest and they often stand out from general crowd and may be distracted trying to find their way to other locations.

Pick Pockets are often very skilled at what they do and they can often deploy techniques like camouflage and distractions; working either alone or in teams. In short; no matter how careful you are, you always have the disadvantage. The only thing you can do is to reduce the chance you will become a target.
• Keep your wallets and other possessions in safest location you can; the back pockets on your pants is one of worst places you can carry your wallet.
• Avoid hand bags where the content can be easily accessed from the top. Backpacks can also be vulnerable since people can access them from a position where you can’t see them. Safety Pins can be used to secure zippers and make it harder to open zippers in bags and clothing.
• Be especially aware when you’re travelling with public transport like buses, subways, trains, elevators and escalators since these environments often are packed with people making it hard to notice everyone around you.
• Avoid displaying expensive jewelry, watches, hand bags and expensive clothing since this signals that you might have expensive possessions worth stealing.
• Avoid travelling alone, especially during the night or in unsafe areas.
• Keep attention. Don’t walk around with headphones so that you can’t hear what’s going on around you. In some culture physical contact is much more common when talking to others; this can be used to mask the attempt of picking your pocket and stealing your equipment.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol or use other drugs; this makes you an especially easy victim.

End
Travelling is an activity that can be related to risk. Leaving your normal setting may mean that you will have to adapt a different culture, climate, terrain and situation that you are normally use to. Even if this article has focused largely on potential threats when travelling I still would like to emphasize that all activities life is related to risk. For many people travelling can be some of the best experience they will have their life meeting new people and making friends for life. But travel can also become a very unpleasant experience if you’re not careful. Learn to plan and do what you can to manage the risk you take