What's under your bed? Dust bunnies, or things that might prove useful in an earthquake, fire, blackout, or other middle-of-the-night emergency?

Currently under the bed:

* emergency ladder (bedroom is on a second floor)
* sturdy shoes and socks
* flashlight
* glow stick -- in case flashlight cannot be used due to gas leak.
* eyeglass case -- technically not under the bed, but attached to the side of the mattress with velcro in case of earthquake.
* small first aid kit
* small radio
* whistle
* dust masks
* work gloves -- for removing glass and other sharp debris
* water bottles
* crow bar



Any other ideas?

During an earthquake, bed legs may break. Lifting the bed to reach under might be difficult ... especially if the wife is still sleeping (ha!) So I installed heavy-duty legs under the bed.

I wouldn't want to keep anything under my bed. In any kind of earthquake/tornado/etc. disaster, whatever was under there would be all crushed and wet from the tons of water above it. Yeah - I still have a waterbed! Sometimes tha cat crawls into a small tunnel under there to sleep. That's OK. I'm not much of a cat person, and if the cat gets flushed and has to "ride the rapids" to escape after a waterbed rupture, no problemo.

Wow, Meadowlark, that's a pretty good set up you have there. Hardly any reason to get up out of bed every day!

I have thought about the "not putting things under the bed" argument from time to time since I also live in earthquake country, but I think that if something large enough (like the ROOF!) is on top of my bed, I'm in some really serious trouble. Especially if I'm also in the bed at the time.

In addition to some of the items you already listed, I also keep my cell phone on the nightstand every night. A regular landline phone would work, too.

I have an alarm system and I also keep a spare remote next to my bed. Just another option to call for help or maybe scare off an intruder with the sound of the alarm.

I used to keep my NOAA radio on standby next to the bed for a long time for things like chemical spills from train derailments (I used to live near some tracks) or a wildfire evacuation in the middle of the night, but I've concluded that local authorities never seem to activate the EAS around here. I'd keep it if we had severe weather around here but we don't, so it's sitting in a drawer right now.

Also:

Hardhat
CERT vest
Wrench (for turning off water and gas)
Ham radio HT in holster (put on my belt)
Fleece jacket (just keep an old one when you buy new)

I keep everything together in a duffle bag so it doesn't go wandering under the bed, also I can grab and go after putting on my shoes and hat. Some of this stuff is redundant with gear kept in my car, and in a closet.

Under my bed... Let me look... *lifts the mattress* Yep, like I thought, floor. I'm a bachelor and I like a firm mattress.

However, at my left foot, I've got a tote with my cold weather gear in it, along with spare batteries and candles, along with my most of my renfaire clothes. My "headboard" is a pair of small totes, one being my "war box" with a week of food, two spare canisters for my camp stove, and PPE in it. It also has my glasses and my Bag of Tricks on it when I'm sleeping.

The other is "BoB's Box", which keeps the stuff that goes in the main part of my BoB as I'm not convinced that my Crestone, as good as it is, is designed to ALWAYS be loaded. That is another week of food, change of clothes, more PPE, my mess kit (including a camp stove and a fuel cannister), two water bottles, and some odds and ends. On top of that is BoB (leaning against the wall), partially loaded with my bed roll, FAK, cordage, flashlight, spare batteries, fire making gear, and spare socks.

On the side of my bed by the wall, I've got shelves with my ditch kit, which is always loaded, my big FAK, a five gallon water jug, my cordage bag, spare camping food, crowbar, my Ka-bar, and the pistol case. I've also got my renfaire cutlery and belt on those shelves, with my sword close at hand when I sleep. :P And behind the door I've got most of my Nalgene collection filled up and neatly standing.

Yeah... I sleep well at night because I know I'm ready. *grins*

flat plastic box with the winter parka and flannel lined jeans.
i'm sure glad i live in a part of the country where nothing happens,your lists sort of freak me out---

under the bed is where I keep the thing with the yellow eyes and the green teeth that makes the bump noises in the night. He's not much use in an emergency, but handy when I have to dispose of a dead body once in a while.

Yes, some of us live a couple hundred yards from recently discovered fault lines whose earthquakes will shake us like rag dolls, and if we're not killed or injured outright we will have to run screaming like little girls to save our kids being roasted alive beneath the rubble that was their rooms, across a broken glass-strewn floor towards a door jammed shut by a shifting house, which is mostly collapsed. Unless we have the sense to wear shoes, kept under our beds.

Now that you mention it, I do miss living in Minnesota.

Sorry, I can't help but think of Scarface...say hello to my little friend...

I'm speaking of the "gauge," of course.

Lono -- "Now that you mention it, I do miss living in Minnesota." LOL!

Hard hat, vest, old jacket. Check. Good additions to the list. As for green-toothed critters, well, that'd mean I'd also need to get a window sticker saying "PET ALERT: FIRE/RESCUE PLEASE SAVE OUR MONSTER(S)".

Just for the sake of throwing things out there, I keep a pair of crocks and a pair of scrubs. When I have to get out of the house quick least I will be covered (neighbors will thank me later) and feet will be protected-ish. Grab the BOB, gun and keys and I am out of there.

The dust bunnies guard all my valuables!

My bed is close to the floor. There's just room for the crow-bar I keep there. It's about 2 feet long, and hopefully better than nothing if I have to dig my way out. If the bed collapses it may be inaccessible, but then I'm no worse off than if it wasn't there.

In the bedside table I keep 4 litres of water. Something to keep me going if I have to wait for other people to dig me out.

On the table I dump some of my core EDC. Specifically, my keyring, which I grab if I have to get up and go to the front door for some reason. It also has a whistle, small torch and suchlike. My EDC torch goes there too, and again that often gets used for non-emergencies. Finally, my mobile phone. I might get a call during the night, or I might need to call out. The phone charger is by the bed, too, so I often charge it overnight.

It's perhaps worth mentioning that my bed is positioned under a large window that is the emergency exit for the house. I'm on the second floor, but it opens onto a flat roof so it's a reasonable way out, at least if I have shoes.

The most likely natural threats for me are probably fire and tornado. We get very small earthquakes that are little more than a joke every few years. Maybe a larger one every 100 years. Tornadoes are more common, but only affect a small number of homes so you'd have to be really unlucky.

Nothing other than a Benelli Nova Tactical loaded with #4 buckshot. Now the bedside table is another matter altogether.

bodies, LOL

"bodies, LOL"

That's what the thing with the yellow eyes and the big green teeth is for.

a rug. my box spring is on the floor. oh well, next post.

Can't put anything under my bed...it's a captain's bed with pull-out drawers which contain extra clothes at the moment.

Similar to a Stanley FUBAR but it's not. So what is it?

http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=XTREME&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=55-120&SDesc=FatMax%26%23174%3B+Xtreme%26%238482%3B+FuBar%26%23174%3B+Utility+Bar+-+30%22

The smaller the gauge of the scattergun under my bed, the better I sleep.

If I put anything else under the bed, the thing with the yellow eyes and the big green teeth would just mangle it and spit it back out.

Definitely the dust bunnies. No room for any survival stuff - I've got an 1986 queen sized waterbed that I refuse to give up! I'm on the second mattress btw.

It definitely pays to have some sort of footwear beside the bed. In the event of an emergency like a house fire - having something on your feet can make a huge difference! Before my eye surgery, when I had the "coke bottle aids" - having a set of eyeglasses by the bed was an absolute MUST!

870P
Streamlight Ultra Stinger
Petzl Headlamp

And another LED disc from wally-world.

Well my currently under the bed stuff consists of:

4 rifle cases (.22 to 30-30, 12ga and one air rifle used for varmit control. All locked)

2 pairs of shoes (they are under the bed because the window is on myside and broken glass in my feet is something I have already experienced twice in my life and refuse to allow to happen again.)

Next to bed:
Bag with all personal doccuments.
Platic tote with home first aid kit inside.
Black dimond head lamp on top of first aid kit.
longsleve shirt appropriate to nighttime lows.
Pants I wore during the day with all my EDC stuff in pockets/pouches (SAK, 4"Folder, cell phone, fenix p2d flashlight, pen and paper, I.D.)

On top of Dresser:
2 folders and a fixed blade knife.
Hats (ball cap and beanie)

In Dresser:
Handgun and loaded mag stored seprately (Seperated to make sure I am awake before chambering a round.)
3 Flashlights (incase the other two fail to work)
Large fixed blade

All my other disaster gear is in the extra room in grab bags or labled boxes.

I don't currently keep anything under the bed. Next to the bed are boots, cellphone, knife, .45acp Taurus Millenium Pro (11 rounds + an extra magazine of 10 + a spare 100 rounds in a box), a flashlight, lighter, leatherman, and a few other things. My SHTF bag is by the front door.

Flashlight, shoes, glasses, phone...

Dustbunnies so I'm not going anywhere near it! LOL

I haven't checked under the bed lately but I think there are some dust bunnies, night mares (they need a dark place to rest up during the day), and something sort of related to the yellow eyed thing that is under Ben's bed (I think that moved in from my daughters room a few weeks ago). I do have a few supplies scattered.., err make that strategically located around the bed room. Mostly flashlights and shoes in case we need to run for the basement during a storm.

Worst case I'll go down the hall to my 4 year olds room and borrow one of her flashlights and some of her tools. She has 3 BOBs ready to go at all times - seriously! Mostly 4 year old valuables but also bandages, flashlights and tools.


- Eric