TOPIC ONE

72 Hours - Why, When, Where, How & What? The myth of 72 hour kits and the need for a simple/fast/effective/small PSK for rescue, transport, and defense.

My survival experience is based on my own experiences. I have no specific training in this area. Here are my thoughts on topic one and the 72 hour time widely discussed and the "bug out" idea.

When a gas pipeline between was damaged between Texas and California and gas was tight here several years ago, I watched people act like fools at the local gas station trying to cut each other off to enter the gas station and other foolish behavior. I saw two physical altercations at my local gas station during this time. This event lasted for more than 72 hours and was not a real emergency per se, but it was interesting to see how quickly everyone lost their cool. I don’t have any reason to believe that people would act differently in a more severe emergency.

The simple things.... We lost the transformer that powers my house and 3 of my neighbor’s houses from a storm a couple of weeks ago. We were only without AC for about 16 hours. It only got up to 95 in the house so it was not as bad as it could have been. AC might sound like a nice to have, but in Arizona in the summer, I would argue otherwise especially with small children and elderly folks. I provided flashlights to two of my neighbors who "could not find theirs". One neighbor has a new born and the other is an elderly woman. I was reminded that it's not just my family who would seek assistance if I were to "bug in" (a more likely scenario as I see it) during a disaster. Having thought out who one would provide assistance to and who one would not help is helpful to think through in advance of being put on the spot.

Bug In:
I keep about 50 gallons of water in my house at all times, this far exceeds 72 hours of DRINKING water use in my house. I have a pool for bathing. I have two boys, so I always have more than 72 hours worth of food in the pantry and medicine in the bathroom. I do keep rice, and other staples in bulk from Costco, but I am not methodical about it. I could do more to organize my food storage efforts. I am covered for more than 72 hours in this area. I need to renew my CPR certification and get basic medical instruction from a community college. This is on my bucket list after I am done with school. I don't have a generator of any kind. This is something that I need to address at some point soon. I tend to think that the 72 hour number is too short a period of time to sustain oneself for Bug In scenarios. That being said, it is a starting point and you need to start somewhere.

Bug out:
Each of my family members has a BoB although I maintain them. I am confident that my family could sustain us for 72 hours with our current load. I do think BoB's serve a valid purpose, assembling them makes people think. I need to do a better job working with my family on their kits and involving them more. The only one that has any interest is my youngest boy. At ~8 pounds a gallon, water is not something my back takes lightly. Again, I have to carry 95% of the water myself and my kids use since they are too young to shoulder the weight. I live out of a pack for several days at a time and do this at least once a year.

In this bug out scenario it's not the contents of my BoB that is my concern, it’s having to deal with those citizens around me. If I were on foot, I would be hauling water for myself and my two sons not to mention defensive tools etc. Put a few gallons of water and 6-10 loaded AR mags in a pack along with other standard contents and things get heavy real quick. In the desert, I will toss quite a bit of gear in order to make room for water and have done so on a few occasions. That nifty “nice to have” gadget that weighs a few pounds feels like 10 pounds after a few miles on foot. I think the 72 hour time for this bug out scenario is a good starting point. However, I would strongly suggest anyone who has a BoB fill it up with water and any other "tools and accessories" and hump in around the block or on an actual hike. I know many folks probably do this already, but it can be an eye opener for those who have not.

I view the bug out scenario as a means to get to the next place to bug in, not as an end in and of itself. If it takes 72 hours to get to the next bug in point, then 72 hours may make sense as a starting point for preparation. My next bug in location is 8 miles away. Something I could do in less than a day with my family in the worst heat Arizona could dish out with our BoB's.