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.