Family Bug-Out Test Report

On the subject of weight and bug-out and all that, if you have a family, just forget about carrying less than 45 lbs - IF you are lucky.

I have a 10 month old and 5 year old, and of course, my wife. A few days ago, we had an sudden trip we had to take, no time to pack, no time to really get ready for the overnight, and for sure, nothing but a floor to sleep on when we got there late in the evening. So I figured, what the heck, throw the 72 hr bags in the van, they have all we need and let's go. Well.

First of all, diapers take up space - and lots of it. And with diapers comes wipes, and more weight. Babies puke and dribble and that means more outfits than you can possibly imagine.

And the water situation - suffice it to say that if the water had been out or bad where we arrived, it would have been unpleasant, at best.

If I could add one thing, it would be more water, and less food.

Martin,

I feel your pain. When my kids were little, I could have used an 18 wheeler to haul around all of the baby-related gear, toys included. My trips from the car trunk to the house were neverending...

Wrap the kids in cling wrap for all the time you are out on the road and hose them off at night...

But seriously - until kids are sentient enough, they do take much more stuff than adults. It sounds like it was a not too great situation, but also a learning one for the older of the kids. To me, it sounds like a way to get the kid to create their own BOB, you know, a toy, blanket, etc. that could make a similar situation a little more grab and go with the kids.

Self reliance only comes in stages. A 'survival' situation helps us to individualize and mature. Until that maturity comes, we just have to look after the kids as best we can.

Rena

ok granted i dont have kids, but how did the native indians or other primitive people handle having children they might need to suddenly take off with in an emergency?

Stage 1: Infants are swaddled (wrapped in blanky), diaper material is washed and re-used

Stage 2: Toddlers are nekkid in good weather, otherwise see above; when they are old enough to not soil themselves, they get their own clothes.

<img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Convenient? Heck, no. Neither is following herds of critters for a living. Adapt, and overcome...in the meantime, use cloth diapers with the new, flushable liners...saves on laundry and on landfill space.

I assume the diapers are the disposable variety.
If water is available for washing, maybe you might consider the old fashioned reuseable linen(?) varity. They would take up less room, almost certainly be cheaper and could have other uses. (a facecloth springs to mind....or maybe not... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />)

we usually use cloth diapers here @ home. However, CLEANING a cloth diaper is a water-intensive job.

Diaper use for yourself are sort of like oats.

Oats are better used before they go through the horse.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I do not have any first hand knowledge, but I have heard that grass (If available.) was used between the blanket and the butt to cut down on the need for cleaning the blanket.

Native Americans on this forum should be better able to give accurate details.

Bountyhunter

Thats a good idea and I would probably try that with my boy provided that I was **100%** sure that he was not allergic to the grass even mildly. And also provided that it wasnt uncomfortable to the point that he screemed at the top of his lungs about it. He's got some powerful lungs and that would be worse than cleaning even the nastiest cloth diaper. <img src="/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />