I checked. Mom already has that book.

Jeanette Isabelle

In a suitcase, no, I wouldn't think so. I was envisioning a more "outdoorsy" bug-out, where you could be in rain and wind where you might want some more water resistant protection for documents.

If everything goes right, and I pray that it does, I will be bugging out in the desert.

Jeanette Isabelle

The closest desert to Florida is not exactly close. So it sounds like you're planning for "the big one", as in a semi-permanent long term bug-out. For that scenario I would be more focused on stocking up my destination in advance (and securing it) than in taking everything with me in the heat of the moment. I would also study up in advance on desert survival, which would be quite different from Florida survival. Those two locales are on different ends of the environment spectrum. And probably on different ends of the social spectrum as well.

To most, desert means "no water" and"always dry." This is not quite correct, because deserts in North America, while experiencing low precip annually, get torrential rains nonetheless, leading to flooding, often catastrophic.

Tropical Storm Bud just hit Southern Arizona with some unseasonable rainfall, as an example. In later summer, thunderstorms, with lightning and flash floods, will make life exciting.

Our SAR team eventually developed considerable capability in swift water rescue, frequently employed. Among the fatalities we encountered, drowning was the second leading cause, right behind falls. And this in Tucson, AZ!

What water comes will be unpredictable as to time and amount.

Remind me not to be checked for pupil reactivity by Hikermor and his 500 lumen headlamp. :^].

To say I'm planning for a life-changing event would be an understatement.


Unfortunately, all personal items may have to be done in one trip. I'm working on financial matters at the time being. I apologize for having to be vague for the time being.

Jeanette Isabelle

Actually, one might tone it down a bit. The beauty of a really good headlamp these days is the great range of variability in light levels (and run time) in really dependable instruments.

I promise not to use 500 lumens on you unless we desperately need the information you hold....

Today I received the basket. I'm using it to hold my OTC medication that is neither in a kit or currently being used (such as residing in my EDC bag). I'm also using it to store alcohol swabs, sunscreen and insect repellent.

Jeanette Isabelle

Another thing you could try is using a vacuum sealer to hold small pill bottles full of meds. Many items, I don't know about pill bottles specifically, tighten up and end up like a brick once vacuum sealed. Like when I vacuum seal coffee beans. I end up with a solid hard brick that I could conk somebody with. Plus, your pills would end up water and dust proof. Label the bag with contents and date using a Sharpie marker before use (it's difficult to write on those bags once they've gotten all bumpy after vacuuming). Get the cut-to-size roll of bag material so you can construct any bag size that you require - very small to large. There's lots of stuff for bug-out that might benefit from vacuum seal waterproof packaging. A box of wooden matches, trail mix, an emergency roll of toilet paper. Lot's of stuff. You mentioned sunscreen and bug repellent above. Those would be good in a sealed bag too, since mine always tend to leak on me. Just use that new box cuter knife you are looking at to open the bags when needed. Save the bags after opening for re-use. You can even buy the sealer machines that run off of car batteries (I'm sure Cabela's would carry such a thing).