It's Time to Pack Your Bag
If you're new at this...
My in-laws didn’t think they needed to prepare for anything.
They wound up in the worst of Hurricane Helene’s flood path, without power, relying on their neighbor for running water. Somehow, they managed to get out of Asheville and stayed with friends five hours away.
My dad’s hometown got overrun by Helene refugees who arrived in search of food, fuel, and lodging. The storm knocked out power there, too, along with the internet. Trees are still down because nobody has chainsaws big enough to cut them up. Barely a week later, Florida is evacuating in the face of a Category Five hurricane. Many of them will drive through the aftermath of Atlanta’s airborne toxic event, which would warrant gas masks with P100 cartridges.
On a related note, my family no longer considers me paranoid.
My entire life, I’ve consumed roughly a third of what the average American does in terms of resources, water, and electricity. Until recently, I could fit everything I owned into the trunk of my car. Back in 2021, it became clear where the world was heading, and I started to prepare. At the time, it felt a little strange to pack an emergency bugout bag. Now it doesn’t. It helped that I spent most of my first two years of college hiking, camping, and backpacking. Not everyone can do this, but the more of this you do, the better off you’ll be. Even if you don’t plan on going anywhere, it helps to keep your emergency supplies in one place.
Maybe you’re new at this.
Here’s a starter list: