This is a topic worthy of a full book and, in fact, there are many. Our goal here will be to cover the basics and simply introduce you to the topic.
THE ROUTINE
Most of us have one. If disaster strikes it will be important to know where each of your family members is most likely to be and how to reach them. You should prepare a contact card with the name, phone number, and address of each location a family member is likely to be. Some examples of locations you may want to consider recording on a contact card for your kids could be daycare, school, or a best friend's house. Try to record both a cell phone and land line number for each location. Each family member should have one of these contact cards on their person at all times.
It is also a good idea to pick some reliable friends or relatives that live in another state and ensure they have contact information for everyone that would be concerned about you. If you are struck by a localized disaster, such as a tornado, you will find that any working phone lines will be clogged with other callers. If you can manage to get a call through to your out of state contact you will be able to advise them that you are okay and request that they call everyone else to share the information. It will be much easier for them to make these calls and put all of your loved ones at ease as they will be far removed from the disaster and resulting clogged phone lines.
THE PLAN
It is important to have a plan of action and practice it, just like fire drills, so each family member knows what is expected of them if disaster strikes. It is challenging, if not impossible, to think clearly in the midst of a disaster so the plan needs to be formulated and memorized in advance.
Consider the following questions as you start to form your plan:
Where will everyone meet if you are forced to evacuate your home?
Where will everyone meet if you are separated prior to the event?
Who will be responsible for retrieving the kids?
Where will you go if your home is no longer inhabitable?
Where will you go if your town is no longer inhabitable?
If threatened with violence will you fight, run, or surrender?
If asked for supplies will you share them or keep them for your family?
THE NECESSITIES
There are certain things such as food and water that you simply must have to ensure your survival. We will discuss a few of them below. It is best to have stores of these necessities in multiple locations so you are prepared regardless of whether or not you are able to stay at your current residence. Consider how you can ensure access to these necessities if you are required to leave your home in a hurry and on foot. It would be best to have supplies at your bug out location so you don't have to carry it all with you. Also consider burying some of the goods underground. If you are hit by a hurricane or tornado it is possible that anything stored in the pantry will have been destroyed and blown away.
1. Water
The human body is 65% water, so it goes without saying it is a vital component of our subsistence. Water aids the body in carrying oxygen and nutrients to cells and flushing wastes out of our bodies. It cushions our joints and aids in the digestion of food.
Most survival experts recommend your preps include access to a minimum of 1 gallon of clean, potable water per day per person. It is best to have a store of purified water that you will have immediate access to as well as a long term water purification plan in place, such as rain water collection.
There are many products currently available that can be used to filter water, but you would have to have access to replacement filters for continuous use and there are many disaster scenarios that could make purchasing replacement filters impossible. Water can also be purified with iodine tablets or unscented bleach but again you would have to be able to purchase replacement tablets or bleach, which may not be possible. It is for that reason that The BUK-KIT Store is currently developing a water distiller that will fit right in one of our 5 gallon BUK-KITS for easy transport! With this product you will be able to obtain clean, purified water from the dirtiest of water sources though a steam distillation process! Watch for it to arrive shortly on our products page.
2. Food
It goes without saying that having access to quality food is a vital part of survival. The average male needs approximately 2500 calories a day just to maintain a sedentary lifestyle. In a disaster scenario you will want to have access to food supplies that can be prepared without the use of public utilities and can be kept fresh without a refrigerator or freezer. Food storage is about a lot more then simply keeping a couple of extra cans of beans on the shelf. You need to consider not only you caloric needs but ensure you are getting a proper balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitimins and minerals to maintain your energy and vitality through the troubling times. Also don't underestimate the value a warm meal can have on your spirits when enduring harsh living conditions. Pack plenty of sweets and comfort foods to lift your spirits and provide needed energy bursts. With this in mind, The BUK-KIT Store has decided to partner with the best in the business Wise Food Storage to help you with your emergency food storage plan. We encourage you to look to them for all your food storage needs and tell them The BUK-KIT Store sent you!
3. Shelter
In the limited space I have here I will not be able to discuss all the different options you have for shelter. Instead I will simply point out the importance of a good shelter and some of the different scenarios that you should consider in choosing a shelter.
I think the importance of shelter should be obvious to most. You need protection from extreme heat/cold, precipitation, and predators. You need a place that offers you some security and privacy.
Primary shelter- Your current home residence is considered your primary shelter. This is where you and your family are most likely to be when what ever is going to happen happens. Bugging out may be a part of your emergency plan but you still need to ensure your primary residence is stocked and hardened in the event you are unable to leave right away.
Secondary shelter - This is your fall back location. It may be a cabin in the woods, a friend or family members home, or a bomb shelter buried deep underground. To the best of your ability you should stock and harden this location as well. You may not be able to take all your supplies with you on the trip, or you may lose them in route. The more supplies you are hauling around with you the bigger target you will be for those that did not prepare.
Temporary shelter - A temporary shelter may be a tent or some type of make-shift shelter that you can build on site with what nature has provided you such as branches and leaves. These type of shelters offer the advantage of flexibility. You can either carry them with you or build them on site, which is invaluable in escape and evasion situations. These types of shelters definitely need to be thought of as temporary due to the limited security and protection from the elements that they offer. It would be wise to bury a couple cashes of supplies in remote locations that you can retrieve if needed. It you’ve done this you are well on your way to being a hard core prepper!
4. Security
The philosophy of home security can vary a lot from person to person. We will not tell you how to defend your family, only you can decide that. Hopefully you will be able to do so while staying within the confines of the law and exerting no more than the minimal necessary amount of force.
Early warning systems – This can vary from elaborate surveillance systems with cameras and sensors to a simply trip line with some tin cans dangling on them. Depending on how desperate the situation is you may want to sleep in shifts so that there is always someone on watch.
Access deterrents – Nobody, including criminals, want to risk their life when they don’t have to. They will go for the soft targets first, so make sure you are not a soft target. In a disaster scenario ensure that you have hardened all access points. Board up your windows. Reinforce you door frames. Create look out locations. Install early detection systems, some of which are hidden, and some that are easily seen. Maintain situational awareness when you walk around. They can tell the difference between someone that is aware of their surrounding, and someone that is day dreaming. If they can see that you have taken these types of measures they will likely pass you by and look for an easier target. Alternatively if there are several houses on your street that have been looted you may want to damage the front of your house in some way that does not compromise security and toss some rubbish on the front lawn so it looks as if your house has already been looted of everything of any value.
Self defense/fight or flight – If none of the above works, and you find that your shelter is being broken into, you will have to quickly evaluate the situation and determine what you will do about it. You need to determine if there are multiple aggressors or only one. Are they more heavily armed than you are? Do you have the training and the guttural fortitude to successfully defend yourself? Is there anything in the house worth risking your life for? In most cases the answer to the last question will be no. Under normal circumstances if someone breaks into your house and wants to steal your xbox or TV you should just quietly exit out the back and call the police. Home owners insurance can replace your goods but not your life. If it is a really extreme environment in which your supplies are primary needs items such as food and water and could not be easily replaced then you may have to be willing to take some larger risks to defend them. If you decide to stand and fight make sure it is a calculated decision and not an emotional response. No matter how great of an advantage you may think you have there is always the chance things could go the other way.
5. Medical
A First-Aid kit is something you should already have in your home and in your car. This is just a fundamental part of responsible living, especially if you have children. The problem with most First-Aid kits on the market is that they are very cheap and basic. If you've been impacted by a disaster it is very likely that you or a loved one may receive an injury that is just to large and extensive for a band aid or little square of gauze to treat.
You can, and should, call for help from a medical professional if a major injury is incurred but even in good times, and especially in bad in can take time for that help to arrive. Time you may not have. We encourage everyone to study CPR and basic first aid techniques and to have the needed medical supplies on hand so that you can immediately begin treatment and save lives.
The BUK-KIT Store is currently offering one of the most extensive and complete First-Aid kits available on the market.
6. Entertainment
The worse things get the more important and vibrant the joyful times will be. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. No matter how bad things get you will need to allow yourself some down time to release the stress that you are carrying. If you have children with you, you will need ways to entertain them and distract them from the dangers they may be facing or have just gone through. It is with this in mind that we have prepared and entertainment BUK-KIT. If the time ever comes that you need to bug out, you will need to do it quickly. There will not be time to rummage through the garage and your kids toy boxes to look for entertainment items. Have it all prepared and stored away in an easy grab and go BUK-KIT.