My gut feeling is that no matter how I am prepared, something WILL happen when I am least prepared, so I want to have a standby BOB somewhere nearby.I have already stored several BOBs at work, my dads house ..etc. One of the goals of this years is to have more cached BOBs around.

I may ask two or three friends to keep some of my BOBs in their homes or businesses. However, that goes against the Prep-stealth philosophy where you dont want many people to know whats in your mind. In the eyes of most, I am a sheepish PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER.. I want them to know it is important stuff and shouldnt let their kids play with it, but not too important that they will be curious to know what a praranoid guy I am.

Any ideas to help resolve that confilct ?

This may be obvious but: How about putting a large BOB in your car and using it as a central point in your evacuation plan?

Then you could let the other kits aroud it have the function of getting you to your car. For example, your office kit has the supplies to get you out of the building and to your car.

Something basic like: gloves, goggels, dust-mask, flashlight, water and a prying tool(hallagan-tool ??). Perhaps a small FAK and some $$. This of course would depend on your sort of work and if you take your car to work.

As for the BOB's you have with your friends/familie. I would pick just 1 adress, but that's also because of costs and the possibility of replacing stuff.

Good luck!

It sounds like a prohibitively expensive endeavor to me. If you can stash stuff in your vehicle, that sounds like the thing to do. If you know you're going to a friend's - put the main BOB in the car/truck. If you know you're going someplace where you have not already stashed one - same thing. After all - what happens if you're enroute? This is if you drive, of course. If no, maybe you could EDC a BOBlite? Something that will get you back home or to your dad's house where you have already put one. Having half a dozen BOBs just seems really expensive - money that could be used for other preperations. If you're asking a bunch of your friends to keep a spare BOB for you - the cats already out of the bag (so to speak) so the conflict is not so much of a conflict - it's a done deal.

This is why I go so big on my EDC. It covers most of my bases and is always on me. Some Highlights:
AMK Heetsheet
Brinkman 3w LED
Inniva Microlight
LM c301
LM Blast
Sparklight & Tinder
AM/FM radio
etc
etc
etc

I actually EDC a lot more than this, so this is just a sampling.

Then, wherever I go, I always have my PSK near by, by habit, which basically fits in this fanny pack/shoulder bag . This supplements my EDC. Some of the things it has is a TMR Storm Shelter, Fixed blade, food, water, etc, etc, etc.

Between my EDC and my PSK, I have pretty substantial capabilities, not to mention that each of my vehicles have pretty elaborate kits embedded throughout.

My BOB is at home, as well as my INCH bag, as well as SIP supplies.

As for telling people, the people that get to know you well will know that you are some sort of "boy scout" or "gadget guy", which is not too bad. Conversations about long term capabilities I really do not start up, but the tools I whip out everyday are sort of unavoidable.

And furthermore about chaching BOBs everywhere, I too would say that it is costly, and money could be better spend on increasing capabilities.. My BOBs are in lines with the "concentric rings" or "layering" theories meaning that they provide some redundancy, but more than anything, the as I go from EDC to PSK to vehicle kits to BOB to INCH, I am talking about increased capabilities.

Stealthedc,

I think I finally figured out SIP (Shelter in Place?) but I can't for the life of me get what an INCH kit is...could you ellaborate?
Thanks

Are those people sheepish or are they someone like minded you could maybe trust with those preps and hold some of theirs are your house in exchange?
Could you disguise them as something else? Maybe a hunting buddy who you ask to store a case of ammo at their house and inside that case you store other items?
I store a couple plastic ammo cans at my parnets house with offiste backups and some ammo and gun cleaning supplies. My mother thought the cleaning supplies were making her sick so she moved them from my old bedroom to the garage and then determined it was some silly potpori that was actually making her sick and not my stuff

Too much ice cream will make you sick and after you finish worshiping the porcelain god, you will see what you have wasted down the toilet.

"Take not counsel from your fears" - George Patton

There are much better ways to handle this "problem", as the other responders have indicated. Not meaning to offend, but "GET A GRIP ON REALITY"!!! You sound like your stuck in a chicken or the egg repetitive cycle. Decide what your realistic needs are and implement them according to the priorities that YOU set!!!

If you don't have a clue, then start doing more research until you start getting enough clues to make some decisions.

Again, I truly don't mean to offend, and I am sorry if I have offended anyone. Otherwise, get over it so that you can get on with it!

Signed: Mr. Personality

INCH = I'm Never Coming Home bag.

After checking out the post about the zombiehunters.org forums, I have come to use that term. My 7 day kit is sort of like an INCH kit, well actually several bags consisting of gear, clothes, food and water.

This reminds me of an Arabian Nights story. A couple decide to go on Hajj (a trip to Mecca) and they want to protect their wealth in the mean time. So they sell all of their possessions and put the money (in the form of gold coins) into a clay olive jar and seal it up. They give the jar to some friends and ask that they keep it for them until they return, giving them some tripe about how much they love olives or something. The friends have a dinner party and run out of olives and open the couples jar thinking they'll just replace it before their return and find a huge stash of gold coins. They get greedy and steal the coins and fill the jar up with olives and reseal it. The couple return from Mecca and get their jar back only to find it full of olives, not gold. So they go to the city magistrate to complain. The city magistrate rules in favor of the friends who stole the gold since the couple gave them a jar and said it was full of olives and they gave the couple back a jar of olives.

I would say don't give anyone gear to hold for you unless you can trust them enough to tell them what it is and what it's for.

No offense taken at all.

I have been in this prep thing for a while now and every now and then I - like everyone else - upgrade my plans. Some folks do that by buying more gear (that is expensive), some like me make more kits that are not really that expensive. Mainly shleter, medical, nutrition and hygeine supplies, with a few inexpensive signal and light items.

Re: AROTC
You maybe right. I thought about it. Even if my BOBs have nothing more than a spare pair of socks,towel, hygeine stuff and few other tiny gadgets. They will still raise their eyebrows.

Two points here

# 1 : Having several BOBs is expensive.
Not really.

Some people already have several multi-tools/SAKs and dont know what to do with all of these. You can give some away to your son/daughter, but I believe spreading them in cached kits is another good way to beat the odds. Same for used clothes, flashlights ..etc. Itemize the extra stuff you have, buy a few inexpensive items (like candles, dust masks..etc.) and make 2 or 3 more BOBs.

# 2 : Car BOB is always nearby.
Well, not always.

A few months ago, we had business visitors. I was asked by boss to go with some colleagues to a nearby hotel for seminars and meetings. I went with my colleagues in their car since the hotel was only 2 miles away. But when we arrived, we found out we got the wrong hotel name and the actual meeting/workshop was in another hotel 20 miles away. I had no choice but go with them

That day I was 20 miles away from my car BOB !!

Theoretically , your car BOB is always with you but you may be seperated from your car when it is least expected , and if Murphy is right, that is when you may need it.

Re: being paranoid. I dont think I am paranoid for having several BOBs, because I dont panic when it doesnt work. Rather I keep trying (and have lots of fun) filling the the holes in the prapredness plan. I look at it this way. Many members here keep buying knives , flashlights and other gadgets. Some of these end up in some drawers or sold. Instead of piling them in drawers or selling the extra ones, I use them (and other stuff that piles at home like birthday candles ..etc.) to make more BOBs, and then think of where I can pre-position them safely.

I have even made "disposable kits" using inexpensive knives, some plasticware, motel-size hygeine items ..etc. and put them in far away areas where I may or may not revisit on business/field trips.

I am a CACHE guy and it is great. I urge everyone to do the same. If you do fishing, hunting, or backpacking, try it around the area you frequently camp around.

Its fun, and it boosts the odds of your survival.

Have you made a map on wich all of your BOB's and caches are listed and located?

This could help with the replacement of the perishable items in your cache, and of course finding your caches in a BO-situation.

How do you hide those disposable cahces so no one else gets them?

I find the idea of stashing kits all over to be awkward. To call them all "BOB" is probably inaccurate. Which of these kits is really a Bug-Out-Bag? All of them, really? How do you intend to use all these kits? What is each specific kit for? This is a problem you'll need to work out for yourself.

My plan does not involve relying on anyone else to keep a kit for me. I keep a 96 hour kit in the truck and I EDC stuff to aid in getting to the truck. That's it. When I'm home the truck is home. When at work the truck is in the lot next to the building. I travel by truck so even when far from home I have the kit.

It sounds like these caches are very different from what most of us would consider BOB, which to most of us is a self contained system. What is in your caches? Maybe that will help us better understand what you are trying to explain.

So they are not BOBs. Actually, they are called CACHES. However, when a CACHE is mentioned somene thinks of digging and burying things. I dont bury them. I either store them with someone or put a pile of rocks on them ..etc. depending on the type and location.

They are not all the same. The one at dads house is a complete BOB just like any other BOB. You can call it "secondary BOB" if you wish. Just in case I arrive there with only a shirt on my back or even no shirt. OTOH there is also nalgene bottles or cofee cans (whatever) with stuff in them, hidden here and there. Call them Nalgene kits if you wish. In case I arrive on site and face prolonged emmergency and batteries in my EDC are consumed, well, I have backup.

So, I have primary EDC and BOB stuff with me.
These Caches are additional.

You can call them anything like (BOB refill kit) or (BOB backup) if you want. I call them (better than nothing)if I find myself in any situation where my car BOB isnt near me or that I have lost/damaged/consumed something and need replacement or addition.

As I said, I dont RELY on them as primary BOB. However, I can bet everyone in this forum will be glad to find a suppliment somewhere during an emergency and that is what those kits can do when you place them in places where you will most likely be.

Re: dispaosable kits, I assemble them to be cheap and disposable, even losing them shouldnt be a problem. A few first aid items, hygene , razor, scissos, cheap flashlight, PIC lighter, pair of used clean socks , you get the idea.

Having said that, I dont just toss one kit every 5 miles on the highway. I pick where I position them with care. There are sometimes areas and locations where we repeatedly visit for buisness/work reasons. I estimate that we may have 3 or 4 more future visits there, so I bring another disposable kit and hide it somewhere on site. I may retrive it in the last trip. If plans change and they choose another engineer or another guy to go next time, no big deal. I may even tell the colleague where it is in case he needed something or may ask him to retrieve it for me.

When you do contracting work for example, it is not a problem to ask the client for a locker or desk or something on temporary basis. In those places you can hide another kit (even though you have a complete BOB in your car). And when your contract ends, grab it on your way out. One day you will be glad you done that.

An emergency doesnt know we have agreeed on 72-hour or 96-hour standard for PSKs or BOBs. And may decide to outrun your batteries. A few other kits nearby will be a great way to beat the odds.

If you say BOB but really mean cache then we can't respond in a meaningful way, the terms of reference are not valid. Using correct terminology is important in communication, especially on the internet. There's a huge difference between a BOB and a cache. Unfortunately, I've seen definitions of the "Bug-Out-Bag" term that go from a 24 hr contingency kit to something like the INCH (I'm Not Coming Home) bag.

I've dropped the BOB term in describing my kits. I have the big kit in my truck which could easily be an INCH kit with a resupply of food and water. It's really just a kit to keep me going in time of an extended natural or man-made disaster when I'm not home.

That said, having gear in caches is a good resupply tactic. I may cache some stuff at work as a just in case. It's very secure and would be a good location for evacuation.

AH HAH!! YOU AREN"T NUTS!

I was starting to suspect this is what you had in mind, but wasn't sure so I figured I'd ask. This makes a lot more sense.

Sorry for the confusion I am not really that particular about details and not even updated on the terminology. What is INCH kit by the way ?

Yes indeed, these kits make lots of sense. Makes you feel more secure and comfortable. And I guess it can help you win some converts since these kits are very PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. friendly : few sharp edges, lots of URBAN and convenience stuff like motel-sized soap bars, or salt-pepper nini packets from fast food meals ..etc.

Assembling them doesnt have to be a chore. I have a basket to collect motel and fast food items to use for picnics or these kits. Add a few items of comfort and you are set. Add that old knife which you dont use anymore plus a flaslight and a few candles and trash bags, and you have a QBOB ( quasi-BOB ).

INCH kit = I'm Not Coming Home kit

And I'd throw in an old book, gets them out of the way, maybe your friends will read them and you'll be grateful if you ever need them. Plus they make firestarting easier if need be, just remember not to start tearing from the last pages first.

Is this a new term? havent seen it before

The term can feed unexpected thoughts in the wrong mind. What if you have a non-prep wife and she thinks INCH means You are running away with another girl. The kit would contain a dozen condoms and wetwipes to remove lickstick. Oh, and a lengthy list of wife-proof execuses LOL

Seriously though. If the term BOB is there, why the need for more terminology ? People of average IQ like me barely can sort out all the existing ones.

Back to the original (prep conflict).

I think if you want to store a complete system ( BOB, or INCH ), we can only store them with someone we trust completely. However with partial kits, PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER.-grade kits , city-boy-junk kit , lazy-boy-convenience kit ..etc. you should be able to easily find a place to store/hide them wherever you live or work.

I think It's a good idea to make new acronyms on the forum. For example, some people have a PSK that fits in a altoids-tin while some people have a whole backpack that they call a PSK.

Discussing and agreeing how to call something is a good thing!

Depending on your lifestyle having multiple kits stashed around might be a good idea but you can't possibly plan for every contingency. No matter what a disaster is most likely to occur when least expected (old Murhpy strikes again), possibly at one location where you have no BOB at hand. That's why carrying a basic but versatile PSK on your person is so important.

Geographic regions have potential disasters that are more likely than others. Here in SOCAL we have earthquakes and wildfires. Other regions have hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and serious winter storms depending on the time of year. Those can be planned for. Manmade events such as terrorist bombings are becoming something that should be considered; they've happened before and will likely occur again. Kits should take likely scenarios into account.

My ongoing kits are geared toward the big earthquake that may never come or could strike today -- you just don't know. The kit in my truck includes cold weather clothing in case there's a problem as I drive through a mountain pass. I've never seen weather in SOCAL that justifies a winter parka, but it definitely can get cold at the 4000 ft level.

Wildfires have lead time for me. Because of where I live there will be time to pack the truck with lots of stuff not normally included in a survival kit -- stuff that assumes the house will not survive. For the last big wildfire here I packed the truck and left it packed for a week. Fortunately, it didn't cross into this community. As it was I did wear a facemask from the kit to make breathing the smoke easier.

Different situations exist so different kit strategies are relevant. If I worked in a tower in a big city and drove to work I'd have a kit in the office designed to get me to my car/truck. In that case a pry-bar and headlamp might be primary tools to keep in the office. Everyone needs to evaluate the potential threats they live with and equip appropriately. It's a personal thing. You might consider terrorist bombings to be high on your list, but in reality there are other events to plan for that are real and (surprise) require the same gear. Start with never allowing your gas tank to approach "E".

"INCH" gets used a lot over on zombie hunters. Good core group, but a lot of their forum members need a visit from the clue fairy- a lot of them are planning on heading to the hills with 20 pounds of food, 8 pounds of water, and about 50 pounds of small arms ammo. *shudders*

Chiset? I like to say....."TO BE READY IS NOT"... Ponce, because no matter how well prepared you are there is always something else that you can or should do.