Thread: BASIC LIST / SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR LONG TERM SURVIVAL

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Soapmaking 101 Tips for a Survival Situation

Posted on May 9th, 2011
by Leon in Food and Cooking, Survival Equipment

Staying clean during a survival situation can be critical: the inability to properly wash your hands can transfer contamination and seriously affect your health! At some point, you might run out of handsoap. Here’s a recipe from soapmaking expert Karla Moore that uses two ingredients to produce a very mild and usable cleansing bar!
by Karla Moore

Soapmaking is a skill that is easily learned, and you can soon figure out how to make your own special blends.

But don’t even think about starting soapmaking without the proper safety gear, and don’t make soap around small children! The lye used in the soapmaking process can seriously injure or kill you! When the lye/water solution is cool, it is very caustic, but looks like drinking water. In one documented instance, a person unknowingly drank lye solution, and died from it!

Don’t try to make soap unless you are willing to follow safety precautions!

With this warning understood, here’s what you need to know:

Use only containers and utensils made of stainless steel, heavy plastic or pyrex. Use absolutely nothing made of aluminum – lye reacts to the metal and that chemical interaction will completely ruin the soap and pan.

Equipment needed:

• 
  
  • digital scale accurate to .1 oz. (1/10^th oz.)
  • thermometer
  • large stainless steel pot to melt oils and mix soap in
  • stainless steel slotted spoon or wooden spoon (that will never to be used for food again)
  • rubber spatula
  • 2 quart Rubbermaid or equivalent pitcher for mixing lye (Mark it plainly, so there is no way to mistake the contents for water!)
  • small container to measure lye. ( A one-pound margarine tub, with a lid, works fine.)
  • small stainless or glass container to measure optional fragrance
  • plastic container or soap mold to pour soap in (Rubbermaid containers work great!)
  • immersion (stick) blender or stainless steel whisk

Safety Gear:

• rubber gloves
• eye protection
• face mask to protect you from lye fumes
• old long-sleeved shirt and/or apron to protect clothes

It never hurts to have extra containers on hand to measure and weigh ingredients. Stainless steel is your friend – watch those garage sales!

Soap Formula

Rendered Tallow or Lard 5 pounds
Sodium Hydroxide (lye) 10.5 oz.
Water 16 oz.
Every ingredient must be WEIGHED

1. Measure Sodium Hydroxide into small container observing safety rules for handling chemicals. This means using a mask, eye protection and rubber gloves.
2. Measure 16 oz. COLD Water into the lye pitcher. You may also use ice or ice/water mixture if shorter cooling time is desired. If using ice the mixture must be weighed.
3. Slowly add Sodium Hydroxide to the cold water. Stir gently and thoroughly until mixed. DO NOT BREATHE IN THE FUMES! Set aside to cool.

You may remove your safety protection for the next couple of steps. Then:

• Measure tallow into stainless steel pan. Set on low heat to melt. When melted, remove from heat source to cool.
• While the oils and lye water are cooling, measure out your fragrance oil (optional) and line your soap mold if desired. Clean & dry milk cartons make good molds. Just peel off the carton after the soap has set up for 24 hours. Remember DO NOT use anything aluminum!

Put on Safety Equipment!

Check the temperature of the lye water and melted oils. They should be in a range from 100º- 115º Now combine the ingredients to make soap!

1. 1. Slowly pour the lye water into the melted oils stirring constantly until combined. You may continue to hand stir if or, as I prefer, use a stick blender! Stick blend off and on until the mixture starts to thicken and leaves a wave after the blender. This is called trace: think of trace as a warm pudding- like texture. When stirred, it leaves a trail behind the spoon.
   2. Quickly stir in the fragrance and blend well.
   3. Pour into prepared mold and cover with a heavy towel to insulate.

Leave the raw soap undisturbed for 24-48 hours before removing from mold. After this time, it is safe to cut into bars and place in a well-ventilated area to cure and dry out. I recommend letting your soap cure for at least 3-4 weeks before using. The longer the bars cure, the better they will be. Water continuously evaporates off, leaving a harder bar that lasts longer in the shower. Handmade soap is at its best when it’s at least a month old.

Raw soap may be wiped out with paper towels and the pots and pans washed like normal. Wear rubber gloves when handwashing – new, raw soap is very caustic.

Coconut oil may be purchased from a grocery or Asian food store. It is used to pop popcorn and may come in a golden yellow color. This is perfectly fine to use and it lends a nice orange/yellow tinge to the finished product.

To buy sodium hydroxide (lye) look in the plumbing section of a hardware store. The container MUST say 100% Sodium Hydroxide and be dry flakes or granules, not liquid. If the material in the container has colored specks DO NOT USE! It contains heavy metals and is unsuitable for soap making.

Karla Moore


Karla Moore is a professional soaper, and owns and operates “Heart of Iowa” soapworks near Gilbert, Iowa. She started making soaps for her own personal use, and started her business in April, 2000. Karla has very sensitive skin and is allergic to the detergents used in most commercial soaps. Her experimentation, and earlier training as a cosmetologist, subsequently lead to a special line of soaps designed for people with allergies or similar skin conditions.

Today, Karla sells soap products all over the world and offers a complete line of scented and specialty soaps, shampoo bars, and custom blends. Karla specializes in soaps for people with allergies and also teaches soapmaking classes. She enjoys visiting with both beginner and experienced soapers.

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Zombie Survival
Zombie Survival Is A Metaphor For Disaster Survival

by Aaron Frankel on October 5, 2010
in Survival Skills,Urban Survival Skills



Roughly a year ago my best friend insisted I read World War Z by Max Brooks. At first I was very reluctant. Zombie genre stuff just wasn’t me. After some prodding, I came around and picked up a copy. A chapter into it and I could not put the book down; I was hooked. Soon after, I plowed through several other related titles. What really got me infatuated with Zombie Apocalypse fiction was the similarity between real world scenarios and what various writers like Max Brooks were churning out. I realized why so many people in and around survival communities often had an interest in Zombie books and would say goofy expressions like, “When the Zombies come.” I now understand that for them, and now for me, Zombies have become a metaphor.

If you simply replace Zombie with economic collapse, pandemic, or natural disaster you could still have virtually the same story. This is why Zombie Fiction makes such a compelling metaphor for modern-day survival, and especially Urban Survival. It does not matter if we are talking about undead hordes or rioting mobs, the basics are all the same. It has become a way for two people to express the same fundamental idea about two seemingly different issues of survival.

The euphemism of Zombies makes having a conversation a little easier. It’s far easier to say, “When the Zombies come” and sound like a dork than it is to say, “When X happens” and sound like a tin foil hat-wearing nut. We can hypothesize about it, play with it, and it’s all in good fun. Hypothesizing about real world issues that can arise is far more daunting. You remove the emotion from the conversation when you’re talking euphemistically.

Zombie Fiction gives modern Preppers the opportunity to get close to their concerns without touching them outright. It’s one thing to read a horrific story about Zombies taking over the earth and humanity wrapped in a battle for our very existence. It is quite another to read a story about the collapse of a country and its citizens wrapped in a battle for their very existence. When you close the Zombie book, the fight is over or at least paused. It’s easy to say, “That could never happen” and dismiss the story enough to rest easy. This is much harder to do when the story is closer to home. In the end, Zombie Fiction allows its readers to journey through a hypothetical sequence of events without the worry of getting consumed by them.

Are Zombies Real?

Zombies have been part of folklore for some time. Jewish Hasidics have Golem as a part of their legends. Zombies have also been more famously, a part of West African and Caribbean Voodoo for an indeterminate amount of time. The interesting thing about Zombies in both instances is that their creation is extremely similar, yet they bear little resemblance to contemporary Zombies that started with Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead circa 1968.

Ok, really, do I need to answer this? Zombies are not real. Perhaps in some kind of screwed-up, genetically modified virus gone Will Smith wrong, perhaps they could happen. Aside from what could conceivably happen, it has not happened yet, or at least there is no proof that Zombies exist. I just want to get this out of the way now before someone makes this out to be in any way, me believing in Zombies, and thinks I have lost my doggone mind. So, are Zombies real? NO.

Zombie Survival Guide

The ultimate Zombie Survival Guide differs only in minutia from a traditional survival guide. What could a Zombie Survival book tell you that a normal survival book could not? The answer is, not much. A Zombie Survival handbook could give you specifics about different types of Zombies and their behaviors, but then again, a good survival book that discusses potential types of human aggressors could tell you much the same stuff.

When I first warmed up to the idea that I needed to do so something to take more personal responsibility for the safety and well being of myself and my loved ones, I searched high and low. Someone had to have written an Encyclopedia of Survival or maybe even a single book that was the be all and end all, to guide you through everything you could come up against.

As far as “ultimate” survival guides, I have never found one. Instead, I have found a laundry list of books that offer ideas, techniques, and information that are applicable, both generally and in specifics. You just have to read and read some more.

How To Survive A Zombie Attack

Surviving a Zombie attack in most ways relates directly to surviving an attack from a human aggressor. Quick wit, quick feet, and excellent skills with your hands and/or the weapons of your choice, are your best hope.

The real trick to surviving a Zombie attack is in understanding your opponent. Questions you have to know the answers to are: What are their strengths, what are their weaknesses, how do my strengths and weaknesses compare and contrast with a Zombie’s?

Would you survive a Zombie attack?

How To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse

Zombie Apocalypse Survival is yet another great example of perfect parallels. In examining Zombie Apocalypse Survival, you find that all the same principles apply; have a plan, have supplies, have skills and above all else, have the right attitude. Put skills at the top of your list. With skills, you can always make or get supplies. With the right attitude, you can survive nearly anything. Without it, nothing else matters, as you simply lack the will to survive. Attitude, or mental state, is a topic I have found to be emphasized in every reputable book on survival.

Would you survive a Zombie Apocalypse?

Zombie Survival Kit

There are several classifications of Survival Kits. A Zombie Survival Kit is more of a repertoire of kits rather than a single kit. There are Blackout Kits, BOBs, and EDC Bags.

Leaving your home is not always the best option. Blackout Kits are your Zombie Survival Kit for “Bugging In”. More often than not, staying put is the answer. Staying in place has a multitude of advantages including; tactical, the ability to store Zombie Survival supplies, and comfort. A Blackout Kit should contain all of the necessary items, in a convenient location, needed to ride out the issue that keeps you in place.

Bug Out Bags, commonly referred to as BOBs, are bags or kits that contain essential items for leaving your home in the most expedient manner possible. However, there is another use for BOBs. They can also be taken with you every where you go or kept in a vehicle and classified as Get Home Bags. Zombie Survival Kits contain the same items, but are meant to get you home from wherever you are rather than take you from home to wherever you need to go. The typical time requirement placed on a BOB is that it should be able to get you through 72 hours of survival.

Every Day Carry Bags are Zombie Survival Kits for every day use. For some, there is no difference between a BOB and an EDC Bag. For others, they are a light weight pared- down BOB.

Being the over planner that I am, I have ended up with several kits: a BOB at home, a kit in my truck, and an EDC bag that I take with me to and from work.

Zombie Survival Weapons

Weapons to defend one’s self in a Zombie attack would be one of the few areas where things diverge from standard disaster a little more dramatically. Considering contemporary Zombie fiction, weapons that might serve you well with humans would not necessarily do well against a Zombie attack. Take tactical pens for example. Much of the focus with various techniques of using a tactical pen is on the nervous system, pressure points, and soft targets like the throat. None of these would be of any use in defending against Zombies. Even conventional weapons like handguns and rifles have a limited effectiveness. The necessity of making a head shot puts much greater emphasis on skill than is attained by most people these days.

Weapons are useless without the skill to use them. Anyone can pull a trigger, but to pull a trigger under pressure and have the bullet find its intended target is not likely to happen without training and skill development. Anyone can swing a machete, but without any training it is not likely to land cleanly on the neck of a Zombie and stave off the attack.

Zombie Survival Gear

Survival Gear is the downfall of most. It’s not that people don’t procure enough survival gear, but rather that they have too much gear and not enough skill. Early on I fell victim to the must have gear mindset. I spent endless hours painstakingly worrying about which knife was the right knife, which fire starter, which bag for my BOB, and on and on. Skill can usually compensate for lack of gear, but an abundance of gear can’t always compensate for a lack of skills.

This is not to say that you should not focus on gear at all. Good Zombie Survival Gear is very important. Have a good Zombie Survival Kit (BOB), clothes, weapons, and alternate means by which to power electrical devises and you are good.

Zombie Survival Plan

A friend of mine once said, “My plan is to make a #$%& ton of money. That’s my business plan” when he was asked by a potential investor to see his business plan. This did not work out for him so well and neither would a similar approach work for survival, be it Zombie or anything else. While the best-laid plans may fall apart in the heat of battle, they still provide a road map to follow.
A Zombie Survival Plan should be a loose to tight, (but not rigid) set of guidelines, just as any other survival plan that takes into account things like: communications, supply lines, redundancy, fall back, retreat, etc. Survival Plans need rules, but should have enough room to breath and allow for improvisation, and that still follows the spirit of original plan. Simply saying, “My plan is to Survive the #$%& Zombies” is not enough.

Zombie Survival Supplies

Food, water, and shelter are the basic necessities. Everything else is a luxury, but not really. If you have no quality of life, what’s the point? Zombie Survival Supplies should take this into account. I can live off whey protein, oatmeal, and dehydrated vegetables indefinitely, but can my mind survive it? Monotony kills the mind and soul.

Entertainment becomes very important when riding out a Zombie horde. When your mind is left unoccupied your imagination fills the space. In Day By Day Armageddon, the main character makes it through the roughest of times by simply keeping his mind occupied through writing in a journal. He found the will to live, comfort, companionship, and even used it to problem-solve. I am not saying dear diary will save you, but having something to do and something that gives you peace in times that try you, keeps that all-important attitude in check. For him it was a diary, for you it may be a deck of cards.

http://www.intherabbithole.com/zombie-survival/

What Accelerated Hyperinflation Looks Like

Mac Slavo
July 1st, 2011
SHTFplan.com
49 Comments

Never having lived through a hyperinflationary currency meltdown makes it difficult to visualize how such an event may unfold. We know from historical examples like the Weimar Republic and Zimbabwe that the end result is wheel barrows full of paper currency being used to buy basic staples like bread and rice. The following chart from the late Howard Katz provides us an example of what the beginnings of a currency meltdown look like, in this case Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation, and how quickly it can devolve into completely financial chaos:

year		rate of increase in prices
1999		56.9%
2000		55.22%
2001		112.1%
2002		198.93%
2003		598.75%
2004		132.75%
2005		585.84%
2006		1,281%
2007		66,212.3%
2008		231,150,888.87% (July)

The Zimbabwe dollar took roughly five years to completely lose the confidence of its people. But because the US dollar is the world’s reserve currency all bets are off in terms of time lines. Given our dependence on debt issuance and foreign investment to cover our expenses, there’s a distinct possibility that shouldn’t be ignored. As James Rawles discussed in his book Patriots and Troy Grice in his book Indivisible, if our foreign creditors pull the plug on lending, the entire monetary system of the United States could collapse in one fell swoop. This is certainly a possibility.

Whatever the triggering mechanism, and however long it takes for the American public and our foreign creditors to lose confidence, the end result will be the same. We often talk about store shelves emptying if and when the dollar becomes worthless, but another likelihood in such an event would be that store shelves remain fairly well stocked simply because the people have nothing of value to acquire those goods (and eventually, that leads to riots and political collapse).

The following video from Silver Investor demonstrates the pricing discrepancies that will result if the US dollar goes into meltdown.



However it comes about, whether quickly in a period of days or weeks, or progressively over months and years, the wealth of anyone who denominates their assets in US dollars (including now, ironically, many Zimbabweans) will be virtually destroyed.

Hat tip Chef

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-new...-like_07012011

Sibi Totique
"For Himself and Everyone" The Free Online Survival Guide and Blog

The Bug Out Plan

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Having a Bug Out Bag that is adjusted for your particular situation and needs is a good start, but another critical aspect in the step towards being ready for an evacuation is to have a Plan. It is likely that you will overlook something or that you might need more information if you would ever really need to evacuate, but to having a Plan and some options is a good start.

In this article I will present some advice concerning what you can think of when making your own Bug Out Plan. There is no Plan that is perfect for every person or every setting. One Size does not fit all; you might have several personal needs that are not included in this article that you have to cover. You must own this process yourself; this is only advice and guidelines. First of all, let’s be clear: No Crisis Plan is likely to Survive its first encounter with reality. You will have to improvise and find solutions for situations that cannot be foreseen before they happen. You cannot plan for every possible scenario.

In a Crisis Situation you will face time pressure, insecurity and great values like you life or safety will be at stake. The very dynamic of the situation means that you will have to make decisions based on incomplete information. Not even the crisis staffs of government organizations will have access to all information during this type of situations.

Starting Out: Keep it Simple
As I first step I suggest that you make a very basic Bug Out Plan. It’s possible to make a very comprehensive Bug Out Plan but as your first step I suggest that you try to keep it simple. I suggest that you establish some basic parameters like:
1.) Establish two means of Getting in Contact with other Group Members; Cell phones are often the best primary alternative since most people carry them on an Everyday basis. HAM radio, CB-Radio, Social Networks like Facebook or E-mail can be potential secondary means of communications.
2.) Establish Meeting Points: One Primary Meeting Point and One Secondary Meeting Point.
3.) Establish Two alternative routes to get out of your area.
4.) Establish a Primary and Secondary means of transportation; Normally Vehicles like a car, truck or motorcycle will the primary alternative; travelling by foot, bike or public transportation can be a secondary alternative.
5.) Make sure that you have a Bug Out Bag (BOB) and some basic equipment available.
6.) Make sure that every Group member is aware of the Plan and have Copy.

Making a more Comprehensive Bug Out Plan
I suggest that the basic layout of your Bug Out Plan should be as easy and uncomplicated as possible. A comprehensive Bug Out Plan with multiple alternatives can have advantages but if a plan for a Group is extremely comprehensive it can be hard for members to remember all the details of the plan and it can also make the plan hard to understand. My suggestion is that you first make a Basic Plan and that you later add to this plan and adjusts it depending on new findings and developments.

Part 1: Activation
So when should one choose to evacuate? The easy answer is: when your chances to survive are better somewhere else then in your home or where you are right now. The dynamics of a Crisis makes it very hard being able to tell when it’s better to evacuate and when it isn’t. You will most likely not have all the information that you would need when you will make the decision to stay or evacuate. I would recommend that you do not just view this problem from a perspective with only two options. It can be good to have a sliding scale approach to the problem so that you have more steps to take than just too stay or go.

Normal
During your normal everyday life there are things that you can do in order to be able to get information at an early stage like
• Check the Media and your local news paper every morning
• Check the weather prognosis every morning
• Check FEMA or your local crisis management organizations webpage every morning
Many of these organizations can have news feeds that you can get for your computer or smart phone so that you can get information at an early stage.
• Have a Bug Out Bag Ready.
• Make sure that your Vehicle is in a good working condition and that you have some extra fuel stored that you rotate on a regular basis.

Elevated
When a crisis situation takes place news papers, TV news channels, WebPages and the radio are common sources of information. During an early stage the information is often incomplete and sometimes even contradicting. If you receive this type of information make sure that you write down
• What information have you received
• At what time did you receive it
• From what source did you receive it?

Also make sure to:
• Inform the other members of your Groups
• Follow the Development

Increased Readiness
If you have received information that suggests that an evacuation might become necessary but don’t know the severity of the situation or if an evacuation is necessary I suggest that you start taking steps in order to prepare.
• Check in with everyone and make sure that they are informed, make sure that you have routines for this; having specific e-mail or text messaging lists ready can make it easy to inform several people at once. I also suggest that you create a standard procedure for the members to confirm that they have received the information.
• Stay Updated
• Is there any information that suggests that your intended routes may be affected?
• Check Vehicles and Fuel Levels
• Check Bug Out Bags
• Check Supplies

Evacuation
This step can be taken either after an Early Warning or Incubation period or it could be taken at a moment’s notice like in the case of a Tsunami Warning or an alert for some type of immediate danger. In some situations like a Tsunami all efforts must be focused on getting to safety at once; no time can be spared to load equipment etc; waiting to do this could cost you your life. Therefore I recommend that you Plan for two types of scenarios: An Evacuation when you have the time to prepare and an Evacuation when you must leave at once.

If the scenario does not present an immediate danger like a tsunami it’s important to establish routines for how the decision to evacuate will be made. If there is a group will there be a vote or will someone that the group trusts make the decision? What does one do if some members of a Group want to stay behind? This is a very difficult subject and you must find a solution that makes sense for You.

When deciding these parts it can also be good to think of different types of Scenarios like:
• The Scenario takes place during daytime when people are at work or school
• The Scenario takes place during the night
• The Scenario takes place when you are at Home

Part 2: The Routes
Establishing the best routes in case of an evacuation can be a hard thing to do. During many large scale evacuation the evacuation takes time for several reasons; it takes time for people to get ready and meet up with family members. Other potential problems like pile ups can result in a situation when the pace of the traffic comes to a complete halt or moves very slowly. During a large scale evacuation this is a problem that will be very hard to completely avoid.

Making the Routes
• Start with selecting some Primary Meeting Points
o A natural primary meeting point is your Home; it can also be good to have a designated location close to your Home in case of events like a Fire if your house would be inaccessible.
• Select some Secondary Meeting Points
o Secondary meeting points should be easy to access and be well known by all members of a Group. The location of relatives or friends can be a good secondary meeting point.
o I also suggest that you establish a way of signaling to the other members of a party if you have been at a meeting point but had to keeping on moving. When did you arrive at the meeting point; were you alone and where are you planning to go next?
• Mark the potential routes on Maps; using markers with different colors can make them easy to view and follow. Online tools like Google Maps can also be used to establish routes.
• Add information about the Route. Where can you find potential shelters, access to water, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, motels, hostels, hazards, repair shops, do you have any stashes on the way etc.
• Try to identify Potential Choke Points like bridges, tunnels etc and potential ways around them.
• Identify key infrastructure on the routes that can possibly be affected by events. Bridges could possibly be damaged or collapse from an Earthquake and Tunnels or roads be flood by a dam break etc
• Are there community plans and routes for an evacuation? Check with your local and regional agencies. If you haven’t made a Risk Assessment also ask for their latest Risk Assessments if they have public reports.
• Has there been Previous Evacuations from your community? Are there any lessons that can be learned? How did the evacuations work?

Part 3: The Party
The next important step that I recommend that you take is to collect information about the members of party that can be necessary to have during and evacuation. I suggest that you list all the members and add details like
[ ] Home Phone Number and Fax Number
[ ] Home Address and Type of Housing
[ ] Mobile Phone Number
[ ] E-mail Address
[ ] Work Address and Occupation
[ ] Work Phone Number
[ ] Date of Birth
[ ] Special Medical Needs
[ ] Blood Group
[ ] Immunizations
[ ] Known allergies
[ ] Physical Description; Length, Weight, Hair, Eyes etc, a photograph can also be useful.
[ ] Skills and Education
[ ] What type of driver licenses does the person have and what vehicles can they operate?
[ ] Friends and Family (Possibly Phone Number and Address to those)

Part 4: Equipment
The needs for evacuation can come fast and without warning. There are some types of threats like a Tsunami, Dam Break, Spills from Chemical Plants or Transports, a Massive Earthquake, Melt Down in a Nuclear Power Plant and other events that may require an immediate evacuation. Other types of scenarios when an Early Warning can be given like with the case of Hurricanes or Blizzards can allow for a more planed sollution.

In a worst case scenario all you might have is what you carry on your person; your Every Day Carry (EDC) or a Get Home Bag (GHB). These may not be designed for an evacuation scenario: But they may all that you have.

If an Early Warning is given it may be possible to make preparations before; go to your home, load up vehicles, get your Bug Out Bag and other supplies.
[ ] Bug Out Bag.
[ ] Extra Equipment for Vehicles; Spare Parts, Fuel, Etc
[ ] Maps, Compass and GPS
[ ] Additional Supplies: Water, Food and Clothing
[ ] Equipment required for specific Scenarios
[ ] Paperwork and Documents

Part 5: Scenarios and Risks
If you have made a Risk Assessment I also suggest that you add information about the potential hazards that you have identified that could require an evacuation.
• Could these scenarios affect Routes?
• Is there any particular additional equipment that could be critical?

Part 6: Standard Operating Procedures
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are different types of standardized means of approaching a potential problem. Creating SOP:s in a Bug Out Plan can be a way of training for different types of problems and challenges. Examples of SOP:s can be to train radio commutations and decide what frequencies or channels that the party will use and always make sure that walkie-talkies work before leaving with vehicles. Other procedures can be to have a checklist so that one can check that all equipment has been loaded.
• How to make Contact and Communications
• SOP:s for Equipment Check, Radio Check etc.
• SOP:s for how to make Decisions or the Chain of Command
How does the Group make decisions? Is one person in charge or do the group make decisions together? Create routines.
• SOP:s for Travelling with Vehicles
The Distance Between Vehicles; Always Keep Windows Up, Doors locked, Keep valuables hidden, Seat Belts, Check Fuel Levels, Always park in the direction you intend to leave etc.
• SOP:s for Traveling by Foot
• SOP:s for Transportation of Injured Persons
• SOP:s for Checkpoints

Part 7: Appendix
It can also be good to have additional information attached to your Plan in an Appendix. Some suggestions for information that can be useful to have:
• Telephone numbers and addresses to hospitals, police, fire departments, CERT, The Red Cross, FEMA, local Non Governmental Organizations (NGO:s), Insurance Companies, Power Companies etc.
• Possible Alternative Forms of transportation; Airports, Trains, Boats, Subways etc. Phone numbers, websites and addresses to companies.
• It could also be good to know what the different persons plan on bringing along when it comes to equipment and have an inventory list of this in the plan.

Special Needs
Most groups will likely consist of some people that have special needs; these may be children, elderly persons, people with some type of disabilities etc. Individuals may also have special needs like glasses, hearing aids or medication. These needs must be planed for and taken into consideration when making your Bug Out Plan.

Paperwork and Documents
Having the access to documents can be very important during an evacuation scenario. If you have to evacuate your Home there is telling for sure how long it will be until you can return or if you will ever be able to. I suggest that you include paper works as a basic part of your Bug Out Plan preparations. Some examples of paper work that can be vital:
• Passports, ID, Driver Licenses, Vehicle Registration and Immunization Cards. Possibly other information like medical insurance, insurance, permits, birth certificate and other types of information.
• By scanning the paper work you can make a digital back up that you can store on some kind of device like your cell phone or USB stick. Some of this information may be private and sensitive; make sure to check out options for encryption and password protection in order to protect the information.

Distributing the Plan
A printed version a Bug Out Plan can be a good thing to have in your Bug Out Bag. A waterproof container can be good in order to protect it from the elements. If you are really serious and have the money Rite In The Rain makes water resistant copy paper than can be used with laser printers. A PDF version of the Plan can be kept on a USB stick or viewed on Smart Phones.

Summary
The Bug Out Plan is only a part of what should be your general Plan for coping with crisis and Survival Situations. In this article I have present some advice on what you can include into your own Bug Out Plan; Your Plan must be adjusted accordingly to your own specific needs and situation. You must reach the point when you feel that your plan is made by you and for your own situation. Own the process.

The aim of the Plan as I see it is twofold; the first part is to provide some options for action; the other aspect is to provide a tool to deal with unexpected events by having critical information about your group and local setting available.

Checklist for the Bug Out Plan:
[ ] The Bug Out Plan
[ ] Maps; City Maps, Topographical Maps, Road Maps, Sea Charts etc.
[ ] Passport, Driver License or ID
[ ] Birth Certificate, Immunization Card, Permits, Prescription for medicines, Medical Insurance Card, Permits etc
[ ] Cash (Bills and Coins) and Credit or Debit Card

http://sibitotique.blogspot.com/2011...-out-plan.html