Bug out bags and bug out plans are a survival prep but how often are they needed? Some say they are essential and could be needed a lot but I will give you a different view on this subject.
The simple answer : In case something happened that was so devastating that you have to quickly and without warning leave their home and travel in such a way you could only bring what you could carry on your person. That seems simple and straight forward, right? But consider something…what type of a natural or man made disaster can happen so suddenly that you wouldn’t even have time to pack a bag or a trunk or something? Now, you might thinking….what about a natural disaster?
Highlights:
Tornados
Hurricanes
Civil Unrest
Pandemics
Nuclear or biological attack
Hittin’ the Road?
Improvements or tweeks in your plans and supplies.
Just a quick note about cash. I will post another podcast early next week, but in the meantime, I ran across this post on Bug Out Survival about money. It’s excellent and I’ve posted an excerpt below. But after reading this I realized how very true it is. As many of you know I just returned from a 2 week vacation. I always make it a point to carry plenty of cash. While on vacation with some relatives, I rented a locker at an amusement park because I had a lot of cash in my wallet and didn’t want to take the chance of it getting stolen. One of my relatives made the comment…”who carries that much cash on them?”
Well…I do and for a lot of reason’s. Cash can get you things that plastic debit cards and credit cards (I hope you don’t use them) just won’t get you. Emergencies come in many forms and this article below sums it up pretty well. You’ll also spend 3-5% less on your purchases if you pay cash, it’s been proven. Enjoy the read and I’ll be talking to you early next week.
One thing I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post about an EDC (every day carry) bug-out kit is money. This is because I take it for granted that other people see the need to carry cash, while in fact, this is probably not true. It’s seems that more and more everywhere I look around me, people are using plastic in the form of credit or debit cards, to the point that many people, especially those under age 30, never have any cash on them, and if they do, usually only a few dollars.
Growing up in a mostly rural area and having been in many situations with a car breakdown or some other minor emergency, I’ve always made it a habit to have enough cash on me to get where I’m going by one means or another. I can recall many cases where I needed cash to pay a shade-tree mechanic out in the middle of nowhere, or to pay for a tow or a ride. These people don’t accept plastic, by the way. You just never know when you’re going to need it if you travel, and that just in the U.S. This is even more important in many places overseas where you might need to pay bribes or pay for a guide or whatever.
But in everyday life, I can’t understand why so few people have any cash on them. People are so dependent on their plastic and so certain that the ATM will be working that they don’t see the need for cash. It’s frustrating to stand in long lines at a store while people fumble for their debit cards and then try to punch in their P.I.N. numbers to purchase some item for $2.95 when they could just whip out a five dollar bill and be on their way – and out of the way of everyone else! Carry some cash people! I don’t leave the house without at least $100.00 on me, and prefer to have 3 or 4 hundred, especially if I’m going anywhere out of my immediate surroundings. It doesn’t cost a dime more to use cash than it does to use plastic. I think most people are afraid to carry cash these days for fear of being robbed. But I’m more afraid of being stuck somewhere without it.
He also has a related post today on 3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Stock Precious Metals. This post reminds me of a quote I read somewhere: “I used to invest in silver & gold…. but now I’ve diversified my portfolio to include brass and lead!”
