Hi,

I've gone through the exercise of assessing my lifestyle and risk factors for the contents of my BoB (http://www.roblester.com/rob/bugout.htm). Now I'm considering storage and deployment. Where do you keep your BoB? I work from my office at home, so I keep my BoB in a cabinet beside my desk. Besides the BoB linked above, I have the essentials in each vehicle, such as tools, jumper cables, maps, compass, flashlights, matches, gloves, etc.

So, my questions are:
-Do you keep a seperate BoB for your car?
-If not, do you move the BoB back and forth from home base to car to office and back?
-Do you carry the BoB around if you're walking around in the city?

I guess I'm trying to nail down if the BoB really is just for leaving home base, or if it is also intended to provide a way to bug out from somewhere else back to home base.

I think about it as a scenario / layer / planning problem.

If anything happens that requires a response while I am on the move my EDC must get me to "somewhere". So If I am walking / riding the subway / flying / or in someone elses vehicle and I become stranded suddenly on-foot I need:

1) to be able to tend to minor to medium trauma (major trauma is considered fatal in this scenario),
2) ability to signal for rescue,
3) fire
4) shelter
5) water

If anything happens that requires a response while I am in my vehicle I will have my EDC and my auto kit all of the above needs apply with the addition of
6) minor to medium auto repair

there will be some redundancy between the EDC and the auto kit because I can carry larger items in the auto kit and there is real capacity for fuel, water, food - none of which is carried EDC in any large volume. There may be a power bar and a liter of water but that's it.

If anything happens to my work place I need to be able to upgrade my situation to a vehicle transport situation. The major supplies I store in the office are related to building evacuation and getting me to my vehicle (or my home). If I were to use transport other than my own vehicle to get to the office I would have to solve more tha building evac with my office kit. Also I consider anything larger than my EDC unlikely to get out of the building with me for many reasons. I might not be able to get back to my desk from the meeting after the event, there may be working security preventing me from evacuating with a large pack of supplies etc... So, for the workplace scenarios, I try to have my supplies for getting me home outside of the building and only have the building evac supplies on premises. This could be accomplished through a rented locker if you were truely urban situation or with an enhanced vehicle kit and a practice of parking a block or two away from the office instead of in the attached garage. In my case I can park in an open lot several hundred feet away from the 1 story structure which is my office building.

Office bob == building evac

1) smoke / dust / debris handling - gloves, mask, eye protection
2) fire protection / suppression
3) debris stabilization - rope, zip-ties, duct-tape
4) Extrication - prybar, etc
5) info / comms - am/fm/sw/wb radio, HAM radio, Cell phone

Near Office supplies (preferrably on in the office)
1) travel - Cab fare, bicycle, vehicle in different location, decent extra shoes,
See above EDC and auto kit for other travel supplies needed

Scenarios that arise at home can be handled similar to the office scenario. I keep my bob supplies outside of my home in the shed because if the house burns down and I am not able to reach my bob I don't want to be without it. If my shed burns down I still may have my house and not need my BOB. I do keep extrication tools and fire suppression tools handy in most likely areas withn the house. Extrication isn't too much of a concern since I can't afford that big a house but fire suppression is needed and available in the kitchen, rooms with fire-places / wood-stoves, basement utility room, laundry room, garage. Escape ladders are available in each of the bedrooms.

My BOB at home is predicated on an escape to safety scenario. I have destinations selected from next-door to across town to out of state where I can go safely in case I can't stay home. The BOB is sufficient to take me walking to those destinations I can walk to and when supplemented with the auto kit it will take me safely to the out-of-state locations. It includes a sturdy change of clothes for each family member, extra glasses, building extrication and stabilization supplies, trauma medical supplies, food and water, debris handling supplies (this is something I don't hear too much about but If I were to activate a bob-based evacuation in my vehicle I would always include a good shovel, the chain-saw and prybar, some stout planking (2X6 minimum) to clear debris from the road (downed trees), fill / bridge large pot-holes, some decent tow straping and a winch for vehicle extrication. Keeping the vehicle rolling is very important to the out-of-state evacuation.

OK so I've rambled on long enough. I hope you get the idea of my approach.

No, I wouldn't carry my BOB around with me and No I don't have the chainsaw packed in the BOB but I wouldn't leave home without it.

1) travel options - money, comms,

Thanks, miniMe, as usual, for a well-thought out and comprehensive reply. You've encapsulated what I think I had already decided about these sittations, but I hadn't articulated in my mind as fully.

I was pleasantly surprised when HR provided me with an emergency personal evacuation safety kit on my first day. There are some shortcomings with the kit, but at least it’s a step in the right direction. It also makes it easier for me to justify and explain my own items. Here’s the run down with my comments added after each item:

Contents
=============
2 – Particle (dist) masks
Paper disks with elastic strap stapled and a bendable nose clip
1 – 4 ounce water pouch
I was informed when I received the kit that the water has a shelf life of 5 years. There’s no date on the bag but she said they bought them a year ago.
1 – Safety goggle
The safety goggles are big enough to fit over prescription glasses. However, they have perforations on the side for ventilation, which would allow fine dust to enter (such as dry wall dust).
1 – 12 hour light stick
Color = green with no expiration. I would have preferred a bright white stick for evacuation purposes.
1 – Emergency blanket
Reflective space blanket… take it or leave it. What do you guys think?
1 – ZipLock bag
Holds everything together and contents are easily seen and identified from the outside.

Custom Item
==============
1 pair work gloves
Nice leather and heavy cloth gloves.

The kit was purchased from a vendor, Simpler Life Emergency Provisions, Inc.

Overall, I have to commend the company for distributing these to all employees. I was also given emergency procedures and watched a 15 minute video on the same subject. However, the contents and use of the kit were not in either material.

I still carry my own items including a Fox 40 whistle, Photon II, CPR Microshield, Leatherman Juice S2, phone credit card, sewing kit, 2 quarters, razor blade and band-aids. These are either in my zippered palm portfolio or attached with a detachable keychain. I also have a filled pint water bottle in my nearby laptop bag. It has several feet of duct tape wrapped around it. I have spare meds in there too, but in a true emergency I would only have time to grab the water bottle if I was in my office. If not, I’d only have my Palm portfolio items.

I think it's pretty decent of them to do that and I think that you know what to do with it + your stuff... however:

Replace the masks with at least N95 masks (or a 3M 1/2 face mask with organic vapor filter cartridges and dust pre-filters)

Upgrade the goggles by covering the vents (suitable caulk/glue open cell foam or snippets of the supplied dust masks) or replace with a better design similar to US issued "desert goggles"

Keep the aluminized mylar - it's pretty stout stuff for its bulk and weight and if you ever need it, uses will suggest themselves.

If you've got room, add a pair of light-to-medium weight wool socks to the bag. (I'm assuming you normally wear synthetic or cotton socks to work - disregard if you already wear wool socks) - you should aim at being able to loosen some laces and fit into your work shoes with these on or these over your synthetic socks.

A few paychecks down the road... upgrade to "stealth" walking shoes - dress shoes that you can REALLY walk miles in. I found a style I like and promptly bought 3 pairs... I hike the woods in moderate weather in the most worn pair and they are VERY comfy, despite being low quarters. Depending on how I lace them, they fit well with every weight sock I own, but best with medium weight wool socks - I sized 'em that way on purpose.

Heck, you know what to do, Willie - why ask us <grin>?

Regards,

Tom

I work in education now in what you would call a community college in America. If I was found 'tooled up' I'd probably be in trouble (though I did save the day for the vice-principal when she tore a dress strap and yours truly materialised a needle and thread (LOL). Nevertheless I sourced a really nice, discreet black cordura pouch that carries my PDA. Cunningly, I then bought another that holds:

Leatherman Wave
Small First Aid Kit (latex gloves, stretch bandage, crepe bandage, 2 x 5cm non-absorbant dressings, 5 x alcohol wipes, 14 x elastic bandaids, scissors, magnifying lens, 6 x safety pins, paracetomol-codeine tablets, Ibuprofen and Piriton (antihistamene).

'Urban Survival Kit':
Tobacco tin
6 feet of quality tape to seal tin
2 1/4" blade folding locknife with built-in red LED light (Whitby Firefly)
Turboflame Windproof Lighter
Photon Microlight
3 Starlite SL3 6mmx 50mm fishing lure lightsticks (last 12 hours each)
Mini Fox 40 whistle, glow in the dark
Mini slotted / cross head screwdriver
Small pair Scissors
Small pair tweezers
Scalpel Blade
12 assorted adhesive plasters
2 Paracetamol / Codeine tablets
2 Piriton Antihistamine tablets
2 Alcohol free cleansing wipes
Sewing kit (2 needles, 4 safety pins, 4 hanks of thread, 2 buttons, 1 press-stud)
Suunto Clipper Mini Compass
Small pencil
10 mini fluorescent Post-It Notes
International Phone Card
£50 in assorted notes / coins

plus:
Really flimsy yellow plastic poncho (very thin & small)
Pocket Gatstix Ceramic Sharpener
20 feet of stupidly strong Irish Waxed string (red)
More spare contact lenses
3M Dust mask

All this really does fit into a tiny pouch and everyone still thinks its my PDA.

In my laptop case I have a litre of Isotonic drink and some chocolate.

My car, parked in an outside car park away from the building has a very large car kit:

Boosters
Fuel Can
Jump Leads
Tow rope
Hi-Vis jacket
Warning Triangle
Lightsticks
Tools
Jack
Solar / wind up radio
Motorola Walkie Talkies
Water
Food
Spare Clothes
Boots
Rope
Wire
Cable Ties
Duck Tape
Dougs Comprehensive First Aid KIt
Ponchos
Tarp
Hexi-Burner and Pot
3 pack of bics
gloves / masks / goggles
Fixed blade knife
Golok no. 2 machete
crowbar

All this gets me home to my rucksacks containing BOB supplies to disappear to my cottage in the Welsh Mountains (hopefully!).

Phew! (actually I've got that much stuff kicking about I've probably forgotten loads) <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I always kept a bug out bag at my own apartment and another at my girlfriend's apartment. She did likewise, keeping one at her place and another at mine. Now that she has bought a house and I live with her there, we each only keep one BOB stocked and ready.
I have been considering taking the contents of our second bags and making a Bug Over Box to leave at one of our friend's homes. I'm planning on getting some big cardboard boxes and filling them with, essentially, water and camping gear, duct-taping them up and giving them to my Mom, my Dad & Stepmom and my girlfriend's parents to all keep in a closet. That would give us three backup locations to move to without becoming too big a burden on them while we bugged over. I forgot who recommended that idea, but they were here on the forum, and I thank them.
Stay safe,
J.T.

Thanks for sharing the excellent list, Hero! I'd love to hear more about the "stupidly strong Irish Waxed string."

Instead of cardboard boxes,have you thought of using plastic buckets?You know the kind that laundry detergent and kitty litter comes in.The round ones lids even have O-ring seals. They are air and water tight.They are even mouse proof so they can be used for water storage after "deployment". My family uses them for sleeping bag storage too.

Hi boatman,
Plastic buckets? You know, actually, I had not thought of that.
I had really been thinking of trying to get everything into one big container, to discourage multiple smaller containers from being moved about and disbursed (misplaced) over time. I had also been thinking I wanted to seal that container up in a semi-permanent manner, to discourage it from being opened while in storage at the other people's house. I'd hate to actually ever have to use them and have my host say, "Gee, I'm sure the missing one is around here somewhere...". I've seen some pretty huge cardboard boxes, so I defaulted to that wrapped in three dimensions with duct tape for reinforcement. The very fact that I'm considering how it may need reinforcing may indicate I'm on the wrong tack.
Vacuum packing would help minimize bulk, but I'm still trying to get sleepwear and sleeping gear, a full change of sturdy clothes, spare EDC & FAK, lifeboat rations and water for two people in this thing. It''s going to be big and heavy, the better to discourage shuffling it about. Once it's deep in a closet somewhere, I figure it will probably stay put. Unlike a Bug Out Bag, these boxes don't need to be easily mobile, as they can be put there at our leisure by a couple of guys or with the help of a dolly.
I haven't actually tried packing everything in one container yet, so I don't really know how big it will be. I'm pretty good at packing, so maybe it doesn't need to be so big. In any case, it's going to be heavy, so that may discourage casual movement enough that it doesn't really have to be all that large after all. If it will all fit in a big plastic storage tub or something, that might work well. I'll consider what you wrote. Having a container more durable than cardboard seems wise, and I don't suppose there's anything stopping me from duct taping up a plastic tub. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Thanks for the suggestion. It has spurred new thinking, and that's always a Good Thing.
Stay safe,
J.T.

I'm one of those people who picks up an interest or hobby for awhile, gets to near-obsession levels with it, then moves on to the next... and often back again, years later.

As such, I've learned over the years to value good storage containers, so all that neat junk you invested in will still be in good shape when you get back to it. For high-end stuff like binoculars I buy Pelican boxes right away, and I'm assured that nothing short of a direct bomb hit is going to damage them while my attention is elsewhere. Other than a strange problem with their rifle cases and airlines, the only drawback is cost... which is significant.

For the price, though, you can't beat plastic paint buckets. They're sturdy, they stack, they're waterproof and air tight, they're resealable, they can carry more weight than you'd want to pick up by their handles, and they're available with lids from most "home" stores for $5 or less. With mylar liners (Major Surplus & Survival, thanks Chris) they can even store non-perishable foodstuffs. Get some surplus silica-gel dessicant packs, and they can protect just about anything that will fit inside for any length of time.

Not only that, but when you do need to empty it out and use the gear inside, it's still a very useful tool to have around.

When you get used to the "normal" uses of these paint cans, you might want to investigate some other products that use them as the foundation for porta-potties, the most handy home toolcarriers you can have, and who knows what else.

Tom,
Do tell, what brand shoe do you love so much? I have some thom-mcCanns and some rockports. The Thom McCanns work well on the trial but have too casual a look to wear with a suit, The Rockports work with the suit but would be totally inadequate with a pack on a steep trail.

'Fess up! What shoes have you got.

Jet, this may make your buckets a little too easy to open, but it is easy to install and open and close with out prying off the lid.

http://www.wisementrading.com/foodstorage/buckets.htm

This place just had the best picture, shop around for a better price. If you are still into off roading use these in the back of your jeep for dry storage.

Ray,
I have a couple of buckets with these lids.They work great and are a big save on the finger nails and torn knuckle dept..I've even use for a tackle box for fishing.I was going to mention those too.

Brad,

Hey, they're cheap, to boot! Skechers - If I can believe the website, the style is called "Alley Cat" (I didn't know that before you asked...) - They are NOT as obviously waffle stompers as the perspective in the picture seems to indicate and they look better in RL than in the pics.here is a link to them.

I prefer the brown scuff-resistant style. They hold up rather well and are very comfy. Not wing tips or uniform low quarters, but they go fine with sports coats on down to jeans. I've never worn them with a 3 piece suit because I think they would not go well with a 3 piece suit - shiny shoes get the nod then, eh? OTOH, maybe I've reached a point in life where style is machts nichts, LoL - YMMV.

They do require breaking in, and I have no idea about resoling - looks feasible, but why bother - as I wrote, these are inexpensive. Until I get seasonally POed at snow getting in my shoe, these have been my "EDC" shoe for about 5 years now - the first pair I bought is reserved for the woods and those days when I KNOW I'm going into a nasty place. That first pair has a lot of miles on them and still look decent enough to get by in casual situations.

I don't buy footwear I haven't tried on - too many variables to trust someone's stated sizing.

You might keep in mind that I set my own dress standard at work - one of the perks of being the boss. I don't consider these too dressy or too casual - just right. As I said, YMMV - but you asked.

Regards,

Tom

I don't know how typical they are, but the lids I get from the local Home Depots have this strip around the bottom which peels off, and after that's gone they're pretty easy to re-seal and open. I bought a couple of claw-type openers at first, but I've only needed them when I tried to use the lids without peeling the strip off... it also required a rubber mallet to seal... but, in the end, I couldn't see any evidence that all that effort was resulting in a better seal. On the contrary, it took so much force with the rubber hammer to get the edges to seal that it was fairly easy to miss a spot. Once that strip is gone, it seems easy enough that all the special devices and tools seem sort of redundant.

As usual, I might be missing something.

Sportsmans Guide has them too for $6. I picked up some food grade buckets from Dunkin Donuts. They get their icing in them and typically toss them in the trash. They have some smaller sizes, compared to the FYI store paint buckets.

A "bucket" strategy could be to purchase one gamma seal and store items that may need replacing over time. The screw off lid allows for relatively easy access to replenish. The rest of the bucket would have the default snap on lids. Then place one of the claw lid remover tools (available in most paint stores, I bought mine at Ace Hardware).

Then in an emergency, you'd open the gamma seal bucket, get the claw and open the others as needed. I'd also add a lanyard of some type to the claw if you have a lot of buckets.

Tom,
Thanks for the details. I have looked at Sketchers a couple of times since they do look sturdy. So far I haven't been able to get past the ruggedness of the look for suit wear. I will try them on next time as a possible replacement for the Thom McCans tho. Have you looked at / tried the Doc Martins. These look similar to the sketchers and come in roughly the same price point. I've also been recently looking at the cap-toed danner duty boots from cabellas, seems that they might look decent under a pant leg. The magnum -stealth line from Brigade Quartermasters looks similar but all these look like good boots that might hide under a dress pant but still quite a bit more tactical than the rockports. I just haven't been able to put much real mileage on a pair of rockports.

Thanks for the details, I will check out the sketchers as the search continues.
Brad

Brad,

Yes, I've tried on Doc Martins and they seem fine. I don't have any "brand name loyalty" in foot gear - but there are more shoes/boots out there that I *don't* like than those I do <grin>. My feet hover between regular and wide, so wider than "normal" footgear usually fits me best. Shoes simply must fit well or they're worthless to me (worse than worthless). At least we can usually get by with some sort of durable and practical shoe - women have a really tough time of it, IMHO. Ever notice that most female office workers kick off their office shoes whenever they're at their desk for very long? Fashion - ptuii! There's a time for that, but it's not daily office wear... a lot fewer choices for women than men.

Objectively - you're correct in that the Alley Cats are a departure from conventions in appearance. Funny thing - since I've taken this job (not quite 3 years) I've noticed that nearly all my male peers have switched to something very similar to what I wear - except, of course, for those 3 piece suit days. Perhaps we're just a bunch of MidWest clods, LoL! Of course, there are plenty of occupations where dipping the casual bar is verboten because all the animals in the herd must look the same. Heck, I know folks who sweat where they buy what brand of underclothes, let alone the rest of the (visible) ensemble... sorta like folks hanging around a medevial court, if you think about it.

Hmmm, I could tell some amusing true stories about that, now that I think about it.

Anyway, here's another idea: Look at uniform shoes for police and firefighters. Specifically go to shops that cater to them and try some on if they catch your fancy. We still expect uniformed officers to look spiffy around here and there are some interesting shoes that are supplied to that crowd. Not many really good ways to conceal a decently thick sole, though. If you're stuck with a thin sole appearance, perhaps the best alternative is to have an inexpensive pair of lightweight hikers stashed at work and/or in your commuter vehicle... taking a leaf out of the professional woman's book (for the same reasons), I suppose...

There is a downside to waffle stomper shoes like the Alley Cats - they kick my butt if I dance in them <grin> - but that's when more "fashionable" footgear seems more appropriate, eh?

It's a GOOD day when I buy a shoe or boot that feels great - hope you have one of those GOOD days, too.

Tom

Piling on... I've written before how much I like Gamma seals for plastic buckets. If you subject them to very frequent use and keep them outdoors, the o-ring MAY eventually stretch enough to make it drop off the spin-on lid <shrug> no big deal. Perhaps that would be alleviated by lubricating the o-ring with a bit of silicone grease, but why bother?

AFIK, in the US the 3, 5, and 6 gallon buckets all use the same size lid (maybe some 3 gallon don't). Also, for the majority of the uses being discussed here, Willie brings up an often overlooked point: Use food-grade buckets. There's no reason not to, and they are more versitile containers that way - who wants to drink out of a used driveway sealer bucket? BUT...

...even food grade will eventually "pass thru" some organic vapors (petro fuels, for example), so pay a little attention to what else is stored in the vicinity. If you really want to be sure, line with a mylar bag and seal that up with a household iron.

Franchise sandwich shops also obtain many supplies in these buckets - and they may be a bit aromatic at first. A good scrub with dishwashing detergent and a few rinses later, fill with cool water and add plain old bleach - as much as 1/8 cup or so per gallon (it should be pungent with chlorine smell) and let it sit in a safe place out of the sunlight for a few days. Dump into the sanitary sewer and rinse - should be good to go. Pickle buckets seem to be the toughest to deoderize but I've found that a week or so in the sunlight after sanitizing usually does the trick.

Buckets + gamma seals are awfully versitile.

Nothing beats a sturdy 5 gallon bucket for Geo-caching. With a few of these and a shovel you can make any waypoint on your GPS a fully stocked re-supply point. This approach gives you a lot of flexibility in planning and in contents of you BOB. Only thing that can't be easily stored in this fashion is transport. (maybe a disassembled electric powered razor scooter ;-) ) Find some out of the way locations in public parks where there isn't much interest in decorative gardening and you can have 20-30 gallons of supplies 4 feet below grade in an evening. If left undisturbed for a season or two it is indestinguisable. I find conservation areas to be great for this. If you are storing any food stuffs remember to line the bucket with mylar and seal it so that the food smells don't attract enough attention from the wildlife that they get exhumed before you want them. Racoons and chipmunks and others might not be able to open the buckets and get at your stuff but if they take away enough dirt trying to do so then some biped might find and remove the bucket.

This approach is a mid-way between the limited usefulness of bugging out to an unprepared friend / relative / neighbor (who will help you utilize your meager supplies and then wonder why you are overstaying your welcome after the first few days) and having a fully stocked retreat in the hills. In this case the fully stocked retreat in the hills may be a corner of a conservation park and a cammo tent covered with debris set on top of the freshly opened geo cache. Not luxury accomodations but better than being stuck in the middle of the riots defending you freshly storm destroyed castle with the last few shells in your shot gun while you are waiting for the Nat'l Guard to clear enough debris from the road to get the APC into you neighborhood.

Since we use powdered laundry detergent, we get and reuse a fair number of the plastic containers for various supplies. One thing you may want to add/purchase is one or more lid wrenches, which makes opening the pails much easer. The wrench can be attached to the outside of pail, so it is readily available. Pete

"1 – 12 hour light stick
Color = green with no expiration. I would have preferred a bright white stick for evacuation purposes."

Usually there is a series of numbers stamped into the seam where the wrapper is closed. If there is no wrapper, then the chem light is no good anyway.

Kudos to the company for supplying the training and basic kit.

Tom, you are not kidding about the pickle buckets. The last batch i purloined smelled for months, even after using bleach.

Ray,

But they're such a nice green color... LoL. Like I said, sometimes direct exposure to sunlight seems to help - either that or I get used to the smell... I think I used a baking soda solution soak after the bleach soak once but... I don't remember if it worked or not, sorry.

Tom

Hi Bill,The first post I ever made to this forum dealt with an emergency shelter tarp/blanket comparison test I conducted one chilly evening. I later conducted another, but realize now I forgot to post about it; an oversight I hope to correct soon.

Of least importance was insulation:
Essentially, I found the type of material mattered little; ripstop nylon tarp, plastic bag, tyvek sheet or whatever. What mattered much more was the thickness of the material. Thicker was better, but only so much.

Of moderate importance was convection:
All of the materials I tested were basically nonporous. Tyvek is porous and my ripstop tarps were perforated where sewn, of course. But they all blocked light breeze and convection heat-loss fairly well. If the material was closed on three sides to form a bag it made a significant difference. Bags were warmer than sheets, since they were automatically sealed against air leakage on most sides.

Of greatest importance was reflection:
What was overwhelmingly obvious during both my tests was that any of these materials became two to three times warmer if it was aluminized! I have an aluminized emergency sleeping bag that I think is made of tyvek. I've also gotten "Space" blankets and bags, and one aluminized ripstop nylon tarp.

The Land/Shark is a nice thick ripstop bag. The 6mil International Distress Orange survival bag I got from Blueline Outfitters is a very nice thick plastic bag. Either was worlds above the yellow TMRU Tube Tent or a trash bag ... even the 4mil ones I found. None of these items compared to even the flimsiest of aluminized sheets! ("Flimsy" is an important word, though. The mylar sheets and bags are not sturdy at all! This drawback made me test the Space Bag inside some of the more durable bags, which were all then VERY warm!)

Some people quote tests that show "Space" blankets don't insulate any better than a plastic sheet. I'm not a physicist, but I know the difference between insulation and reflection. So what if they don't insulate? They're not supposed to! They're supposed to reflect body heat, and they work nicely ... so nicely that I would find myself becoming too warm during my test, and open the bag or blanket to allow a little more convection to cool me down a bit ... something I was too chilly to want to do with any of the other items in the test.

So I'd say hold onto the survival blanket. It's small anyway. (Or, trade it for a bag when you get a chance.)

Stay safe,
J.T.

I remember a trick from an old movie about a deli owner in Brooklyn that used milk to remove the pickle smell from his hands (after working with dill pickles all day). I wonder if a milk rinse would remove the odor any quicker. <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks, Jet. Your comments are always informative and worthwhile. This particulat kit is a high-rise BoB for employees. I would not have thought that space blanket would have many uses in a building emergency. But after a little reflection (pun intended <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />), I've thought of two possible scenarios.

One, an emergency evacuation in winter where one is unable to grab one's coat. Still, warm shelter is minutes away, even if a large area of downtown Chicago is under blackout, like during the great flood several years ago.

Two, one could get trapped in the building without heat for an extended period of time. I guess that would be possible and a welcome source of comfort.

Reminds me, has anyone heard from Barry/Blueline of late? Last I heard he was had temporarily shut dowhn Blueline due to a relocation issue.

On a different note, using the pails for BOB and heavy storage has another distinct advantage over boxes....we are always talking about "what if" so ...what if you are injured and can't pick up or carry your BOB box? If a pail is used, it could be rolled about.

I also concur regarding the mylar bags. If possible, use a vacuum sealer to reduce volume to the extent possible, place it all in the mylar bag and heat seal it. Although you know not to store your BOB by petro products etc. you host may not. Hate to find mine adjacent to a bag of fertilizer or gas cans in a carport somewhere. Also, in the event that the pail is stacked, after time, it will deform and possibly crack, the inner packaging offers that extra line of defense.

In any event, at minimum, a "yearly checkup" of the BOB should be performed.

Just my two cents. YMMV
Comanche7

ps Great thread guys.