Outdoor skills and "being prepared" were engrained in me during my Boy Scout years. Since then I've always been a person who tries to be prepared for "whatever might happen".

I've camped just about all over the U.S., though my favorite places are the Teton/Yellowstone area and the Boundary Waters.

After I got married and we had kids, my time spent camping in remote areas was lessened dramatically. One weekend I took my kids to our local county fair, and we met people walking around with dogs who were part of a local search and rescue organization. I was intrigued by them and what they said, but nothing really changed.

A few months later we went to some kind of fun night at my kids' school. Once again they had people from a local SAR organization there, but this time they gave a more formal presentation. It wasn't the hug-a-tree program, but they did tell us that kids should always carry a plastic trash bag and a whistle, and they discussed what parents should do to prepare for a child being lost. THAT was what tripped the survival trigger.

I started looking for relavent information on the web and quickly found Equipped.com and these forums. I've been hooked since. I read Cody Lundin's book and used his information along with information from Equipped.com and what I could find out about the Hug-a-Tree program on-line to have the boys and siblings in my Cub Scout den put together survival fanny packs.

My own focus is primarily on short-term survival when the unexpected happens while in remote areas. I don't really focus on urban survival or bug out bags since in my suburban area I know that local organizations will be there to help. Besides, as someone on this forum once mentioned, if it comes to bugging out, I'd be one of hundreds of thousands who will be hitting the roads at the same time. Routine moring drives are parking lots. I can only imagine what it would be like if people were fleeing the area in mass.

My most important suburban survival tool is my cell phone, OnStar, my seat belt, and an air bag, ... though I do carry some gear in a shoulder bag I carry to work (large trash bag, flashlight, lighter, compass, knife, basic first aid supplies, bandanna, etc...).