A couple of nights ago I had this dream/nightmare that has me thinking about our emergency preparation and plans. First, a peek inside my head…
In my dream, I was walking around the Plaza while a storm was building. The clouds grew dark and the lightening clapped loudly overhead. Such storms are fairly common in the summer here, so I didn’t think much of it. That is, until I saw a tornado approaching from the southwest. Now, tornadoes don’t really happen here (thanks to our climate and geography) so everyone began to panic. Because tornadoes don’t really visit us, most of our structures are built without basements. Knowing this, my first thought was, “Where is there a basement?!?” The answer was a bar down the street from where I was, so I began running there and got down into the basement with several other people with just moments to spare. When the tornado came through, it demolished the building above us, trapping us in darkness below with no tools, water or food and no idea what was happening above us.
At this point I woke up and drank some water, thinking that was the end of that.
Upon falling back asleep, I went back into the same dream, but at the beginning again. This time, everything remained the same except for the fact that I now had my backpack with me. In my backpack I always carry a bottle of water, a few granola/protein bars, my rain jacket, my Leatherman multi-tool, a small knife and a flashlight. I was still shocked by the tornado and I still ran for the nearest basement and still became trapped. This time, however, I did not feel the same panic as I had in the first part of this continued dream. I felt more prepared and less scared.
When I woke up again, I had many thoughts floating through my head about preparation and the items I carry in my backpack on a daily basis. I also recognized that, while I carry said pack with me while driving places, I do not carry it with me when I go for short walks (like from work to the Plaza for lunch, etc.) because I like to travel light…usually with my phone and wallet in my back pockets and my keys strapped to my belt loop.
While I may be kind of prepared for an emergency if something were to happen unexpectedly, I have found myself wondering about that fine line I see drawn in the sand…you know…the line between being prepared and going overboard.
While I still haven’t figured out exactly how prepared for an emergency I want/need to be on a daily basis, it is obviously on my mind. As I begin to sort through my thoughts and assess my needs and our needs, I would absolutely love to hear from you!
What do you carry with you on an every day basis? What do you carry with you on a daily basis that would help you in an emergency? What am I missing in my pack (besides a fire starter and a first aid kit…)? Do you have a bug out bag? Do you have multiple bug out bags in different places (home, work, vehicle)? And, most importantly, in your opinion, where is the line between being prepared and being…well…a little paranoid?
xoxo,
M
I have a bug out bag. I don’t always take it with me. I do take it with me when my kids and I walk in the woods. It has a Swiss army knife, binoculars, lots of water (about 2 gallons), a “survival bracelet”, several ziplock bags. I want to add 4 emergency blankets (about 1 oz each), a fishing hook and line, bandaids, a small flashlight, some $ to it.
I have been thinking about emergency preparedness lately. Yesterday I realized that I should always carry a change of clothes for each of my kids, a couple of towels to use for drying them or covering them if cold.
OK. I know these things don’t make me very prepared, but for the life situations that we actually face here these things can be useful.
I’ve read many preparedness blogs, and often feel just completely overwhelmed. I have just been working on my personal ideas of what I might need for my family. I am trying to start with things that are most likely to be useful most often in my real life. (ie: extra clothes for the kids are useful if there were a real emergency and I had to leave town in a hurry, but they are also useful if they fall in the mud and get wet when we are at the park.)
Sorry this post is so long. It’s been on my mind.
No worries about the long post! I never mind long, well thought out comments 🙂
I do need to get myself one of those survival bracelets! I keep thinking bout it, but never get any further than that! An emergency blankets would be good! They’re so small and light weight, they won’t take up much room. I feel like, when my daughter was younger, I thought of these type of things a lot (things like extra clothes, blankets, first aid kits, etc) but as she’s gotten older, those things have just fallen away.
I completely agree about finding the balance between what is written on a lot of sites and what will work for me/us. It is *such* a balance! I do want to be better prepared for anything that might come our way, but I don’t want to go overboard!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas! I appreciate them!
I also wonder about these things. Definitely throw a Bic lighter in your bag. I also have a small sewing kit and a small fishing kit in my bag. A bottle of aspirin, a sanitary napkin which can be used to make a bandage if needed. Lots of little things that do not add much weight and could prove extremely useful if the need arises, like some safety pins, a small roll of tape, an Ace bandage, a couple spare batteries for my flashlight, and an extra pair of good socks. Like the Boy Scouts say, always be prepared. If that makes me paranoid, then so be it.
Ah yes, aspirin and sanitary napkins! I always carry both, but don’t necessarily remember that they *are* emergency items! I do need to add in all the other things you mentioned, though, because I can see the value in all of them!
Thank you for your suggestions! It’s always good to get an outside perspective! And, I agree, it’s better to be prepared than not. Even if there’s never a big emergency, everything carried will absolutely be used for something or someone at some point 🙂