Shock! How could they neglect to include a FLASHLIGHT

Read this on the Net and was appalled, they left out the flashlight


http://www.upworthy.com/5-household-items-to-have-on-hand-in-case-of-an-earthquake?c=ufb2

Yeah I would have replaced the 2-ply with a good 2 cell and 24 CR123 primaries. But then again, who doesn't buy their toilet paper in such massive quantities that their wives get pissed because "we have enough to survive for a year, why do we need more?!?!"

I can't believe they would suggest toilet paper. More than half the world doesn't use a bog roll.

The video referred to does include a flashlight, albeit no mention of extra batteries, as the one shown at least was a C or D cell incan type.



The IDEA of the emergency supplies was good, the execution, at least in the video, was token. IE: The actual items selected were of "Placeholder quality", yes its a flashlight, but its a crappy one, yes, its a first aide kit, but, not really up to the task if actual serious injuries occur, and so forth.

Mr Floppy said:

I can't believe they would suggest toilet paper. More than half the world doesn't use a bog roll.

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Leaves? Maybe I don't want to know the alternatives!

markr6 said:

Leaves? Maybe I don't want to know the alternatives!

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The first rule of Soap Club...

Ugh. Without getting into details, let me just say I've killed close to half a roll on occasion. Just saying

That video makes sense for people riding it out @ home after a big event that disrupts normal life. Stores closed, power out, communication lines down, emergency services overloaded, etc. For that, stocking up on toilet paper makes sense, as a 'comfort item' to make daily life a bit more bearable. But #5 in a must-have list? Ridiculous. :shakehead Same with the phone power btw... your loved ones can wait the short time until you manage to send a single SMS, 1-minute call or e-mail saying you're okay.

For people living in an earthquake zone, I'd give some thought to the situation where one's house is destroyed. Maybe an always-ready BOB that can be grabbed on the way out when a quake hits? Surely a few days worth of food & water, flashlight, and some first aid materials should be in there. Some camping gear stored in a place that's safe to enter even after a devastating quake (like in a box outside / garden shed etc), to shield you from the elements when the home turns into rubble?

Answers will be different for everyone, but as always: those who prepare will be better off when disaster hits.

RetroTechie said:

For people living in an earthquake zone, I'd give some thought to the situation where one's house is destroyed. Maybe an always-ready BOB that can be grabbed on the way out when a quake hits? Surely a few days worth of food & water, flashlight, and some first aid materials should be in there. Some camping gear stored in a place that's safe to enter even after a devastating quake (like in a box outside / garden shed etc), to shield you from the elements when the home turns into rubble?

Answers will be different for everyone, but as always: those who prepare will be better off when disaster hits.

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I BOB, everyone on CPF should BOB.

I don't even live in an earthquake zone. There were riots 45 min away from me when the WIC/food stamp cards stopped working for one single day. People who think riots can't happen around them are mistaken if they think "oh that'll take a few weeks before things get bad." I saw day 1 riots in the local area.

more_vampires said:

I BOB, everyone on CPF should BOB.

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Around here we BIB. It's far, faaar more likely that people here will have to Bug In than Bug Out.

The biggest threat to health and happiness here is staying warm during winter storm power failures which can last a few days to over two weeks depending on where you live and the area hit. One guy I work with lives on a back road and has gone two weeks with no power on more than one occasion.

Food and water have never been a problem to date in this area. Even during major storm blackouts that shut down the whole region. Gasoline is always the first thing that is hard to get, and road conditions during major winter storms can range from treacherous to impassable for the first two of three days after the storm.

We BIB. :thumbsup:

Think that it is essential to see to your own individual needs like say for example a diabetic would have to include insulin in his BOB/BIB, so there is no set rules for the contents of the BOB/BIB but I am of the view that among other items, a flashlight, spare cells and a solar charger are essential (not mentioning others cos this is CPF after all )

more_vampires said:

I BOB, everyone on CPF should BOB.

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I really want to get one, or at least get more organized. I just can't wrap my head around the idea of stocking nice items in a bag I'll probably never use (waste of money, unless I ever DO need it). And I don't want to go cheap and have stuff that will fail when/if I do use it.

At the risk of going off topic, I'd love to see more threads about BOBs, disaster preparedness, etc. It's an area I don't know much about, but wish I did.

markr6 said:

I really want to get one, or at least get more organized. I just can't wrap my head around the idea of stocking nice items in a bag I'll probably never use (waste of money, unless I ever DO need it). And I don't want to go cheap and have stuff that will fail when/if I do use it.

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Well, you CAN have the bag be OPEN, and merely where you keep that nice stuff.

Essentially, if you are staying home with it all, it just needs to be accessible in the home, and there's no need to put it in a special bag, etc.

If you want to be able to EVACUATE quickly though, you DO want all the stuff you'd be running for your life with in one easily collected spot.

So, its like insurance premiums are a waste of money, unless you get hurt, wreck or die, etc...and then its not.....but, really, you'd rather it WAS wasted money considering the alternatives.

So, the BOB is like an insurance premium you don't have to pay monthly...buy might have to maintain/rotate stock for, etc.




A pet peeve on these emergency preparedness lists is the one where they always say to stock up 2 extra months of prescription meds....and, really, because of the way insurance companies never authorize early refills, no one I know of at least CAN stock up an extra 2 month supply...unless they get 3 month prescriptions....and then, for ONE month, they'll have a 2-month back up...but at the third month, they'll have ZERO back up....and so forth...

...or can afford to pay cash for the stuff, etc.

Love you guys. Bob/bib = warrior purse. The bad stuff happened. The balloon went up. Who's got the water and ammo?

markr6 said:

Ugh. Without getting into details, let me just say I've killed close to half a roll on occasion. Just saying

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Whoa, what do you eat?!! Don't pack those for an emergency

TEEJ said:

Well, you CAN have the bag be OPEN, and merely where you keep that nice stuff.

Essentially, if you are staying home with it all, it just needs to be accessible in the home, and there's no need to put it in a special bag, etc.

If you want to be able to EVACUATE quickly though, you DO want all the stuff you'd be running for your life with in one easily collected spot.

So, its like insurance premiums are a waste of money, unless you get hurt, wreck or die, etc...and then its not.....but, really, you'd rather it WAS wasted money considering the alternatives.

So, the BOB is like an insurance premium you don't have to pay monthly...buy might have to maintain/rotate stock for, etc.

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Thanks TEEJ. I have SO much stuff at home and would like to have it mobile for everyday use, or possibly emergencies when out and about. A MAN PURSE! I think of all the money and time I have tied up into backpacking gear and couldn't imagine keeping that stuff packed 24/7/365 and left to sit around. Even then, that ~24lb load is more for a 3-day trip with not many backups. Something I'll need to think about.

Mr Floppy said:

Whoa, what do you eat?!! Don't pack those for an emergency

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Those backpacking meals come to mind :huh: I've recently switched to some quality dehydrated meals. And I try to avoid fast food!

p.s. I think there were several BOB topics, but one with a breakdown with photos of everyone's pack would be great!

Yeah.... No flashlight but don't forget that phone charger. :thumbsdow

markr6 said:

And I try to avoid fast food!

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Yeah, I can imagine how fast they go out the other end too. I wonder if they sell MRE's to the public? Meals rarely expunged... Although I don't know if it is true or not but they include a piece of chewing gum now which is a mild laxative.

markr6 said:

Thanks TEEJ. I have SO much stuff at home and would like to have it mobile for everyday use, or possibly emergencies when out and about. A MAN PURSE! I think of all the money and time I have tied up into backpacking gear and couldn't imagine keeping that stuff packed 24/7/365 and left to sit around. Even then, that ~24lb load is more for a 3-day trip with not many backups. Something I'll need to think about.

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How the heck do you get 24Lbs?! My pack, that I do keep loaded (for SAR purposes) weighs almost 40Lbs that doesn't even include a sleeping bag or tent! Water alone weighs 8.8Lbs alone.