Having slept on the floor of many an airport, I can assure you that hotels are preferable, but not necessary.

Let us also evaluate several recent situations in NYC and London and see what happened.

Most recently, Hurricane Irene, an event in which yours truly was ordered to abandon his shore vacation by the Governor of the State of Delaware, and also a time where large swaths of New York City were placed under evacuation orders. Yes, the hotels filled - but the shelters opened and nobody who wanted a bed didn't have one.

Back a little further, 2003 - the great east coast blackout (again, I was on vacation...). Not only were hotels unable to process credit cards, cash machines were out. So they took a pad and paper, wrote down the guests information and charged them later. Or let them stay for free.

London's subway bombings. The city was shut down. Yet the milk got delivered, the electric got generated and life went on.

Over and over again, I think we see a fragile, ready to fall apart society when we forget just how strong our desire for stability and order is and how powerful the idea of "Keep Calm and Carry On" really is.

I think we could all take a lesson from this guy:

You still check bags? Really? I've just plain given up on checking bags after having stuff stolen - repeatedly - out of my bags.
I sometimes used to check a handgun with my luggage for trips to where my CCW permit was honored, which made the luggage less likely to be tampered with, as those bags are monitored, but since I go to LA all the time now, that's not really an option anymore. How do you deal with the extra 45 minutes of waiting time at each end of your trip? I have to involuntarily check bags every now and then, I can't stand the wait for the bags at landing.

This all great stuff and certainly great food for thought. I'll have to see how I can start some of this now as I build my GHB/BOB.

-Jason

You have come to a good site for this discussion! Let me encourage you to take another look.

Your scenario includes some assumptions that might let you down. First, there is the assumption that you will travel safely and arrive as planned, but how will you deal with a different outcome? Second, there is the assumption that you will arrive at a location which has all the resources you need, but what if some or all of those resources are not available? Third, there is the assumption that your relo

The strength of this community is in its challenge to the assumption that everything will be okay because somebody else will take care of us. Being "equipped to survive" asks us to prepare as best we can for the opposite assumption.

A BOB is to give us independent survival resources and is not built on the assumption we will arrive safely and on time. Most BOBs look like wilderness encounter kits because theyy are designed with the thought that the thin veneer of civilization can be just that.

I usually have to carry to much to be able to carry it all on the plane, unavoidable. I have never lost anything out of a bag, and never lost a bag. I have had some show up late, but they got there.

I have found that TSA will not search my bag if I ziptie each compartment shut. Ziptying the the zippers togther, that is.

I have found their notice of search in my bag (not sealed) and I have seen where a bag was searched (my E&E Kit enclosed) with no notice being left. I haven't "lost" anything yet.

Should be noted, I don't fly commercially unless there is no other choice.

I fly a lot. I have had a lot of damage to luggage (I use rolling duffel bags now, they last longer, hard side get destroyed quickly) but never lost or anything stolen. I have had things broken. My baggage almost always gets searched, likely because of the stuff I carry (survival gear, field gear, electronics). I have begun to Fedex Pelican cases to myself with my more expensive or sensitive stuff. It is reliable and safe, and there is insurance, so an incentive to actually get it there unharmed. My company has a Fedex account, so it is easy. Since my travel is for work, I don't have to pay out of my pocket for shipping. Most hotels are pretty good about receiving shipments like that.

Like Montanaro, I've never had any luggage lost or anything stolen from my luggage. A few late bags, but everthing always arrived eventually. I too have had good success with rolling duffles.

The few problems I've had with late bags have generally been when I've had to make connections, espcially when using more than one airline. Hence I fly direct whenever possible, or try to make connecting flights on the same airline.

Mont,darn clever the shipping idea,never would have thought of that.

Havent flown once since TSA,avoid it,thankfully not required by job.