What is a bug out box? Why is it called "bug out?"
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"Bug Out" is a term that was probably from World War II. It was used when people needed to evacuate their area due to advancing armies. Today, it is used for any sort of evacuation.
The Bug Out Box is just a collection of useful items in case of an emergency. One of our members recently published the kit she keeps in her trunk, just in case.
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It seems Bug-out box is an old term that has been 'resurrected' due to some of the emergencies people are facing right now.
I believe it is just an emergency box.
It is just basically a few items in some sort of container in case you are caught in an unusual situation that may require you not being able to return for just basic items - especially meds.
Many people are setting up these boxes in their homes in case they have to 'get out' in a hurry and these would be filled with whatever that particular person/family might need if they have to abandon their residence. Each person/family would set their box up in relation to their own personal needs.
This sort of box/container has been recommended for years to keep in your car in case you get stranded somewhere and these items may save you from freezing or starving while waiting for someone to find you.
I am 87 so I have had something set up in the same line that I have carrying with me for several years. I use what I call a
'grab bag' that has emergency items that I may need if I have an 'accident' while visiting or shopping. This type of bag is along the same lines as a bug out box and has saved me from some of what could have been embarrassing moments.
This is a wiki on the term. I have known it all of my life...so it probably came to me from my dad, who probably got it from his dad.
If you are making a kit for a bug out box, be sure to include your medications, paper prescriptions, things for your pet, and anything else you may need if you have to service out if it for several days--like bottled water, prepared foods, and the like. I living in a place that gets bad winters, so the one in my car has extra blankets, a pair of boots that aren't' good enough for every day, but are good in an emergency, flashlight, batteries, and bottled water.
When we made Y2K ones we had candles that were designed to burn for a week, water, lots of prepared foods like cheese crackers, cereal, canned soup, matches, water, and a weeks worth of food for the do and her old blanket.
Everyone's bug out box is different--it is all about what you need G-d forbid you have to bug out fast!
Think of it like this. Recently in the US, there have been horrible wildfires that are destroying home and a lot more. There are some people who are being forced to evacuate for their safety and protection. Some people have already prepared a bug out bag so they can easily leave there home and have provisions to last them at least 72 hours. That is what they recommend that you pack a bag that will have enough in the bag that you can get by for the next 72 hours. If things are a lot worse then the bag will need a lot more inside of it for you to survive the crisis. Here are some of the suggestions they give people in order to pack your bag and get by.
Air - they say you can survive 3 minutes without air. If you are in a fire zone then you should consider some sort of face-covering or even a mask to protect you from the hazard.
Shelter - some sort of a portable tent or even a makeshift tent to protect you from the elements.
Water - you can survive 3 days without water but this is very important and you need to pack some water or even a portable bag that you can use to collect water in.
Food - you should pack some packages of food that are easy and light to carry with you. Other than this you can pack a fishing pole that you can use to catch your food with or some other means of trapping food so you can survive.
Light and heat source - you should have some sort of a portable flashlight with you. If it takes batteries make sure you have enough. I would suggest to try and find one that can easily recharge with the sun. For heat, you should have some sort of matches or even a lighter in case you need to make a fire to cook your food or to keep warm by.
First aid kit and navigation tools - always make sure you have some type of first aid kit in case you are hurt and then some sort of a compass if you need to find your way.
If you are worried about your safety you can take something to defend yourself with in your bag. Then on top of this don't forget about taking enough clothes with you for all kinds of weather so you can stay dry and warm.
Normally that is the basics of a bug out box or what I have always called a go bag in case of an emergency.
This is a quick kit for emergency disaster. It's a portable kit that contains things for survival up to 72 hours. There are other names for this kit, such as -Battle Box, Perk (personal emergency relocation kit), Quick Run, and others.
For those of us who store photos and documents electronically, weekly back-ups to an external drive are not only a good idea (in case of disk failure or system crash), but an external drive can be easily added to the bug-out box at the last minute.
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