Fooman's reply to the 'Super typhoon' to hit Philippines thread got me thinking about what happens if the SHTF while you're on travel. All your food, water, and tools are back at home. Your kit's been stripped down to get it through TSA, and you're in an unfamiliar city which may or maynot have working utilities.

1) What do you need to know before leaving for the airport?

2) What should you pack (carry on only and checked luggage travel) to ensure TSA doesn't confiscate it?

3) What do you buy when you get there (before the disaster)?

check the local news before you leave,easy to do with Google and such.just take the easy stuff like clothes,shoes,meds you must have with the scrips.everything else could be bought on the first street out of the airport.food,water,hardware--knife--first aid items,flashlight,whatever.the local gear will more than likely be more in keeping with what you will need that stuff brought from home.

I realize after typing my response and re-reading the OP I am off topic. My apologies but I feel the response represents many on the forum.

I'll just relate traveling in CONUS. I occasionally fly to work retreats with several employees. Fly to Vegas with friends. Drive around the West Coast for races and long weekends.

I am known by what we all recognize by the term, "Boy Scout" in my group. Someone needs something, regardless of how arcane, I have it or something that works. This is not compatible with ultralight travel. I always carry more gear than anyone else.

Extra this and that. Batteries, flashlights, Steripen, SPOT2, blades (or bang bang), sewing kit. Of course if I am driving there is a large pack and/or 5 gallon bucket full of tent, fire and stove, sleeping bag gear, cold weather gear, cases of water, food, rope, etc. Almost a minimalist camping trip.

I buy maps everywhere I go. First thing.

Timely topic.

In about 3 hours, we will be heading into northern Canada and will only be able to take very limited kit due to transportation restrictions. In the very unlikely event that a major and regional/national debilitating event should occur, we would stay there and not try to make our way home any time soon as the weather, terrain and shear distance would make such an attempt foolish.

At least where we would be staying up north is a familiar environment and some family and friends live there. Most of these people have spent their entire lives living in some of the most inhospitable winter conditions in NA and are well prepared as compared to people in a large metro locale where we live right now.

Travel by air is a huge remover-of-options.

Quite a few years ago on a business trip I woke up early in Taipei and watched the early morning traffic volume building up from my window on the 25th story of a high-rise hotel.

I thought about how screwed I'd be if there was an earthquake about then. (Can't speak the language, can't read the signs, equipped only with a business suit and electric razor, and it's way, way too far to walk home. Hosed is me.) Fortunately there was no earthquake.

Having a list of emergency phone numbers and a map is a good starting point. I actually carried a compass on my foreign travel trips because, again, couldn't read the signs. But with map and compass I could be reasonably certain I got on the train going the right direction.....

Well, frankly, this hits at the very root of survival. In such a disaster scenario, finding yourself alone and poorly equipped in an unfamiliar environment, all bets are off and you do what you have to do to keep yourself upright and breathing in and out. Otherwise, you may not get back to your family and friends.
No one else is likely to do this for you.

I suppose fundamental to this is trying to avoid putting yourself in harm's way in the first place. For starters, I wouldn't advise going hiking anywhere near North Korea, Afghanistan, or Iran. Or, as a teenager, going on a single-handed around-the-world sail. Apparently some people don't see the common sense in this, and hopefully will have made appropriate preparations to deal with the consequences.

Iran isn't really a problem (legendary hospitality ), but Afghanistan (probably the most difficult at the moment with a war currently ongoing, not you have to keep a eye for potential kidnappers but you have to watch the sky as well) and North Korea may well be difficult (though not impossible as long as you are prepared to take along a couple of Government issue Guides/interpretors );

http://www.highplaces.co.uk/treks/country29.html

I personally felt safer on a trip to Cuba (even with the Hurricane) than I did with a trip to Barbados for example, although it has not been unknown for me to go drinking in the local pubs and bars in an area described by the UN as one of the most dangerous locations in the western world.

The last trip I took was to a very remote South Pacific island that only had one flight a week in and out and very little in the way of assets on the island.

I check the weather forecast, State Department and other travel advisories, reviews of people who traveled to the location to get an idea of what to expect. That helps focus my kit for local conditions.

Well in advance, I go to http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/ for what immunizations and meds needed for that trip. Some have significant lead time required.

I took an extensive medical kit including suture kit, OTC meds, trauma supplies, etc. I figure I would provide the doctor with MY suture kit, exam gloves etc for him to use on me if necessary. Many of these third world places wash their gloves, needles, etc which is responsible for spreading disease. I'd like to not get what the last guy had.

In carry on baggage I carry some food, LED headlamp, ear plugs, iPhone, and a couple days of clothing in case my checked bag doesn't arrive. I ALWAYS bring a fleece vest and rain jacket regardless of where I'm going.

In checked baggage I put my basic pocket survival kit, water filter, Leatherman etc.

I bring some snacks from home like packaged peanuts and jerky. I had a Microbiology Professor who advised eating something from home about an hour before eating local food. Starts acid production in the stomach and helps prevent food borne illness.

I also purchase Medical Evacuation Insurance to cover repatriation flights. On this last trip you'd have to charter a jet from Hawaii to fly the 1300 miles each way to get home.

By the way, I left the Med Kit with my Dive Guide for his family's use. Nice tip for him in addition to the cash.

That CDC link is a very good one. I typed in "US" and then "California" to check on health hazard updates, and I see pertussis (whooping cough) cases are at 50 year high epidemic levels out here, and vaccinations are being recommended.

Decent street maps are normally the first thing I buy. I've gotten turned around too many time relying on the rent-a-car maps.

The bottle of any prescription meds along with the more common travel stuff (dramamine, tylenol, antacids).

A flashlight (keyring for the city, pen light if I'm going out a ways).

Compass (it can take a couple of days for my sense of direction to kick in).

Water bottle(s) (fill it up after getting through airport security)

Still working on a way to deal with cutting needs for carry-on only travel. TSA has proved extremely capricious as of late (e.g. cut the TSA approved locks off of the suitcases going in both directions), and I'm not sure I want to risk a decent pair of 'approved' scissors or a Gerber EAB sans blade. Maybe I should just buy a cheapo utility knife when I get there.

It sounds like I should add a sewing kit, FAK, iodine tablets, and the locations of any potential disaster relief facilities (red cross, schools, stadiums, etc.) to my bag.

There is a lot of great advice here, as always.
My only two cents is to cary enough to buy what you can't fly.
Fro me it would be the ability to buy a knife that woudl be leagal in the enviorment that I was in, and to be able to buy the proper gear that I couln't fly.

Luckly clothing and sealed food can fly prity easy, and the ony thing you wold have to aquire is things like knife, tinder and some other flambilbes that you would use to start a fire. beyond that I think what is in most our our kits anlong with a set of phone numbers shold be albe to get you throught bad situations.

Remember the best tool you have is your brain, and that can get you through some tough situations.

interesting that in reading the responses that several people mentioned carrying phnoe numbers but i didn't notice anyone saying that they carried a sat phone or gps with preset waypoints like uS embassy, or a spot to send out a message back home etc.

Back in the old days when Marty Focazio traveled the world for his job, I believe he said that he shipped some stuff to his destination hotel to be sure that it didn't disappear on the way through the airline terminals.

Phone, address and map to local American Embassy could be a useful thing, but the only person I've ever known who was married to a diplomat (American) was in Cypress when the war broke out, and it wasn't the American Embassy that got them out of the country, but the Canadian Embassy.

So, possibly contact info/map of the Canadian and British Embassies might also turn out to be useful. At least we speak their language... kinda-sorta.

Sue

This is what I carry via checked luggage when I fly or travel in CONUS:

Escape & Evasion Bag

2 bota bags,

messenger bag,

FAK (3"ace, 2"ace, nitrile gloves, 2 medium dressings, 6-3"x3" sponges, assorted bandaids, adhesive tape),

messkit (dryer lint, HoBo knife, p-38),

wet ones,

1ltr bottled water,

water purification tablets,

Roamer (Teddy bear),

medicine pouch,

zip ties,

5 trash bags,

2 bic lighters,

7 granola bars, 10 coffee bags, 6 Datrex rations, beef jerky

insect repellant,

metal enameled cup,

KaBar knife,

3 bandannas,

road maps,

toilet paper roll,

100ft of paracord,

cotton & leather work gloves,

Feador (penny whistle)

That's very cool, but I think I could make do with:

2 one quart zip lock bags

2 coffee filters

1 liter bottled water

1 small pen knife

Water purif. tabs

1 Cricket piezo lighter

local map

1 trash bag

3 large bandaids

1 sewing needle

Small tube neosporin w. topical anesthetic

3 sachets of 3 in 1 instant coffee

3 granola bars

1 Kleenex tissue packet

1 two person emergency blanket

25 feet paracord

Wrist watchband compass

Actually, I could do without all the above except the 3 sachets of 3 in 1 instant coffee. ;-)

I have spent thirty years traveling around the world, and have had very few issues with airline security or limits dictated by the laws of any specific country. I have always packed a knife in my checked bags, the size depended on the country. You must know the rules of where you are going. Lighters, too many matches or other types of fuels are the one hard limitation now. I have not tried wet tinder cubes, but I have never had any problem with a flint and steel, cotton balls and a tube of Vaseline lip balm. In my carry on I always carry at least the equivalents of what you find in the PSK and have never been questioned about them. For cordage, I use dental floss. I usually even carry a wire saw, never a problem. I have at times carried the tiny folding saw, but this is becoming more of an issue. A heat sheet survival blanket never raises a question. Prepared foods are not an issue. Empty water bottles are no problem, and you can fill them once you get through security. I always get a pocket phrase book for whatever language is appropriate, and endeavor to learn at least ten most useful words. Dressing appropriately is also critical, and never an issue. Learning a bit about the flora and fauna which might prove useful is a good idea. One of the first places you can visit once at your destination is a drug store or hardware store for the items you could not carry, but in some parts of the world, the stores are not classified so easily, so you may have to look around a bit. Prioritize your survival equipment: Shelter, water, signaling, fire, food. You all know the rule of threes: 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. Think about what will put you in the survival situation, what are the likely circumstances. A properly dressed person with a waterproof/ windproof layer, some method of shelter, water and signaling should survive most situations a traveler would encounter. Your brain is your best tool though. Prepare it properly and you will survive.

Wildman 800,

I carry lots of similar stuff, mostly in my carryon bag, but your lighters are not allowed in checked luggage in the US and WILL cause difficulty if they open your bag.

Lots of years of travel around the world brings me in major agreement with Montanero. Today I carry an enhanced AMK .3 FAK ,an enhanced Ritter PSK (without the scalpel blade) and a heatsheet in my carryon. An empty water bottle is included, but mostly because I drink more water than is convinent (a stainless single wall so it can be used to boil water). I also carry a BIC and matches on my person. The other items (including a knife if allowed where I am going) are in my checked bags. For the knife watch for places that do not allow locking blades.

My water filter is included in OCONUS trips for everyday use, as well as potential disasters.

The best,

Jerry

p.s. I will miss my larger kit, just like I would if I did not have it in the US.

Hello All,

I have been traveling abroad a lot in the past years. I work with nature conservation, so some trips involves visits to wilderness areas.

I'm now waiting for a flight in the Japan Central Airport. Going home after two weeks in Nagoya. Typhoon Chiba has just missed japan. I think it is a good oportunity to check, and share with you, what I'm carring ....


On person or carry on luggage:

Hiking boots
extra cloting, including fleece jacket and waterproof jacket and pants, wool cap and extra socks;
AMK heatsheet;
Pocket plastic poncho;
waterproof Bag
trash bag
Tikka XP flashlight
extra bateries for the flashlight
compass
Whistle and photon mini flashlight in a keychain
Palm Tungsten tx PDA, loaded with maps and satelite images for Nagoya and the region (in jpgs files, to be available offline)
casio protrek watch with altimeter, barometer, termometer and compass (used the compass a lot in the subway in Nagoya!)
cellphone (6 bands, GSM and 3G)
japanese phrasebook
some paper maps (free ones) for Nagoya and Region
A ziplock bag with: (some band aids, soap, hand sanitation towels, toilet paper
A small roll of duct tape
Small amount of nylon cordage, and a small carabiner

water bottle (pet coke bottle i have just drink


In my checked baggage:

DR PSK
ferrocerium rod
Leatherman squirt
victorinox minichamp
More clothes

I didn't bring a bigger pocket knife because I was concerned about what I read about the knife laws in Japan. In general I carry a 2 to 3 inches folder. I still need to buy a non locking one for countries like UK.


It is important to say that I haven't had any problem with the above equipment in any airport around the world(Including USA, Europe, South Corea, China, Colombia and others....)

In the South Corea customs declaration they asked about knifes, but when I showed the small pocket knife I was carring (Gerber Mini Fast Draw), the Customs official said it wasn't a problem.

Fabio

3) What do you buy when you get there (before the disaster)?

A local person.

I don't mean anything illegal, like bribing, buying a politician, etc. I'm talking about where you create a legal business relationship between you and someone else. That someone else has your best interests in mind. If things work out, you won't be alone in the middle of a collapse infrastructure.

Downsides:
- You didn't pay enough to keep the bad guys away from you (if you're concerned about this, perhaps you should consider a professional bodyguard)
- They may not help you at all.
- They are killed/incapacitated/unavailable when a disaster hits.

Upsides:
- If you travel frequently to the location, you have someone to receive your packages with your supplies.
- You may have access to an extensive local network of people to help you, or to move you from one place to another.
- Local intelligence (what neighborhoods to avoid, what scams there are, where you can get cheap supplies, what kind of "strange" laws are in the country ("but Mr. Mexican Police Officer, I just had a single minature replica bullet!"),
- They might know where the U.S. Consulate is. (Probably should register yourself at the closest one anyway).

One thing I have done in the past, is to pre pack basic survival gear and supplies, and have FedEx ship to my hotel over seas. That way I have what I feel might be needed during a critical situation, and avoid TSA and other travel restrictions.

When I heard about that disabled cruise ship down in Mexico currently being towed back to the US, I thought of this thread. Imagine, 3,000 passengers and another 1,000 crew, stuck on an almost dead ship.

These ships are AMAZING in terms of power and water generation, sanitation, etc, but one fire can knock most of it out, as apparently happened on this ship. They have enough backup power for drinking water and minimal santitation, but it got me to thinking about how you "rough it" in a cruise ship cabin if everything was knocked out for an extended time--say off the coast of Africa maybe? And what if you had no flush toilets for 4,000 people? Wow, not pretty. Like a floating Superdome situation almost.

One thing I wasn't sure of--I've read reports of a US Navy ship transferring food to the cruise ship. But it wasn't clear if that is because the cruise ship was actually out of food, or whether the refrigeration had been knocked out and the food onboard was spoiling. I wonder if the ship's lifeboats have enough Mainstay bars for 4,000 people...

The stories I read said the ship is completely without power, including the pumps that power toilets, sinks, and showers. Yep, 4000 people on a ship with no good way of going potty!

It would make sense that food would need to be brought in. They probably have propane for the stoves/ovens but no other powered cooking devices (microwaves, icemakers, freezers, blenders, soda fountains, etc) are working. Nor do they have any way of washing/sanatizing the dishes after a meal.

Most interior hallways do not have any portholes and would be pitch black, as would any interior cabins. I can imagine the ship having a curfew to avoid any liability issues with people getting hurt while stumbling around in the dark.


It's a worst-case scenerio in a lot of ways...I wish I were there!!

-Blast

From CNN



4500 people on a diet of pop tarts and crab meat. Glad they got the bathrooms working.

"Yep, 4000 people on a ship with no good way of going potty!"

All they had to do is provide a bunch of buckets. Of course, getting the buckets to the rail in the dark could be tricky...

Carnival Cruises Strikes Again!

The Carnival line certainly is no stranger to fires and other 'incidents'. This one is just the latest (and probably not the last) in a string of fires for several years.

In 1995, Carnival's Celebration caught fire and 1700 passengers were evacuated after drifting for two days.

In 1996, the Golden Princess was towed from the coast of British Columbia to Victoria after a fire broke out in the engine room.

In 1998, Carnival's Ecstasy caught fire right after leaving Miami.

In 1999, Carnival's Sun Vista caught fire off the coast of Mayalasia. The passengers were trapped on the burning ship for 5 hours, spent another 6 hours in lifeboats (some with no supplies, but nearly twice the listed capacity), and were finally picked up by a Russian freighter.

Also in 1999, Carnival's Tropicale caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico, and was adrift for two days. The captain thought it best not to inform the passengers of the raging fire in the engine room because he thought it would cause a panic. The Tropicale also caught fire in 1982 on her maiden voyage. I guess if you've got something good, go with it!

In 2006, the Star Princess (a subsidiary of Carnival) caught fire in the Caribbean, with hundred of cabins burned and one man dead.

Also in 2006, the Crown Princess listed severely (apparently caused by the second officer) to 24 degrees off the coast of Florida, tossing passengers, crew and anything that wasn't fastened down, producing nearly 300 injured passengers and crew.

This year, the Royal Princess caught fire in the Mediterranean.

Also this year, Carnival's Ecstasy (of previous fire fame) turned hard to avoid a large buoy that none of the crew seemed to notice until they nearly hit it. The ship listed severely, injuring 60 passengers.

Cruises don't appeal to me, but the LAST cruise I would take would be a Carnival cruise (pun intended).

Although none of them are as bad as the sinking of the Greek cruise ship Oceanos in 1991, where the crew abandoned the ship early on, and the saving of the 571 passengers was orchestrated by the entertainment director, her guitarist husband and a magician! Part of the rescue was filmed, and shown on TV several years ago.

Sue

Fires and contagious diseases on board a floating dormitory in the middle of the ocean. Where can I get in line for that? ;-)