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One of the topics that David and I discuss are emergencies. We are not hardcore survivalists by any means, but we try to be somewhat prepared for just about any situation as much as possible. This is harder when you are traveling visiting another country, but a necessity when you are residing in another country. Especially when you have more than yourself to consider, which is why I wanted to talk about it right here.
Have you ever thought about what you would do, or where you would go if something happened? I would bet that most would say no to this question. It is an absolute necessity to have a plan regardless of where you are, but most especially when you are outside your home country.
Types of Emergencies
There is a number of emergency situations that can happen that you need to plan for. Most though, are things that you cannot prevent but sometimes have enough warning to help you leave. The following list of disasters is from a website called restoreyoureconomy.org. I am simply showing this here for reference considering how many there are out there. There are two main categories that they fall under which are:
Natural disasters:
• Hurricanes and tropical storms
• Thunderstorms and lighting
• Tsunamis
• Wildfire
Manmade & Technological Disasters:
• Power service disruption & blackout
• Nuclear power plant and nuclear blast
• Chemical threat and biological weapons
• Civil unrest
There is a number of other things that could happen, these are just some. If you are curious about what other calamities are out there, the link I provided above has more pertinent information. Now, if you think about each and every one of these all the time and try to plan for them all…let us face it. That would drive any person crazy!!! The best thing for you to do when you go on a trip, or when you are about to move is to do some research. Forearmed is forewarned.
- Study the demographics.
- Follow the news
- Study the neighborhood
- Study the weather history
- Consider where it is you will be going.
The Philippines, like Florida, is an area that has seasonal calamities that can be planned around. Everyone is aware that the Philippines has a typhoon season, so we consider when would be the best time to visit there. I grew up in the Philippines where I experienced tons of blackouts, floods, droughts, damages to property, etc. My family prepared for this the best way we could, by having a generator ready with fuel put aside, and extension cords coiled and ready to go.
We had bags of candles and matches on hand because brownouts occur even when there is no natural disaster. We had a large water tank, lots of metal barrels around the property, as well as buckets to collect water during the droughts. Going to school it was not uncommon for my brothers and me to carry an extra shirt, socks, shoes, etc. because the market and roads are flooded sometimes up to our knees. Since it rains so much there, flooding is not an excuse for missing school.
My point is, study the area you are about to move to and take into consideration things that you might experience while there. You don’t have to go crazy about it, just be at least aware of the possibilities.
What to pack
When you say bug out bag I bet you are imagining this huge bag filled to bursting with things you think you might need. Let me put your mind at ease. In all honesty, you don’t have to pack up too much, for an indefinite period of time. Just about 3 days’ worth of stuff per person. The purpose of this is because you are planning to reach your emergency destination in that time period. If you packed more than that, how would you be able to move? Imagine that you are a family of 5 which includes two kids. Weight is an important thing to think about. We love the lightweight & ultralight camping community. Adventure Alan is a great resource.
Consider these questions:
- How fast can you move with this stuff?
- How far can you move with this stuff?
- Can your child carry their own stuff, or will you have to carry it too?
- Can your child walk, or will you also have to carry them?
- Do you have pets? If so consider all of THEIR things that you need to carry too!
There are a number of questions I could add to that but I will stop there because I am sure you got the point. Here is a list of things you should have in your bag, or at least that I suggest you do:
- Clothes- at least a couple of shirts and maybe 1 extra pair of pants. Socks are a must though so at least 3 pairs.
- Water-this amount varies based upon your location and the weather you are experiencing. This could be around 1/2 a gallon to 1 gallon or more per person per day. A water filtration system in your backpack will save you a lot of weight.
- Food– anything high protein and/or easy to carry and eat.
- First aid kit– to treat any minor injuries as needed.
- Money-just a couple of hundred dollars etc. each.
- Important documents ready to go like- passports, birth certificates, visas, etc.
- Entertainment for kids like cards, coloring books, books, a favorite stuffed toy, electronics
- Identification cards including social security cards.
- BABY WIPES. BABY WIPES. BABY WIPES.
- Chargers if there is power.
- Hygiene kit
- Some type of shelter just in case
There are so many ways to personalize and customize the bug-out bag that I will stop there. You know where you are, what it is like there, and what you would need.
Where To Go
So you are aware of potential dangers that could happen, and you have a bag filled with things that you need. Now what? Here are questions to consider:
- Do you have an agreed upon meeting place?
By having an agreed-upon place, your family who might be in different locations when something happens knows where to head to in the event of anything happening. This helps a lot because now you can train/practice getting there. Knowing that you have a meeting place will help each family member have a goal in mind of where to go rather than panicking and scrambling around trying to find each other. This wastes time, and effort.
- Do your kids know?
It is imperative that children be involved in this planning and practice. This helps them feel involved and helps keep them less panicky and freezing up when action is needed. Also, it helps everyone know which areas they excel at, and what areas they need more practice in.
My children are young, and since we are overseas, David and I agreed that I would not be working so that I could be close by in case something happens. This is a personal preference that is working pretty well for us.
- Do you have an alternative place if the first one is no longer available?
What if the area you were planning on going to is inaccessible to one or more family members? This is where planning an alternative location comes in. If you reach the first/closest area but not all family members get there, then it would be logical to assume that the missing family member went to the other location. Again this helps save time by having a direct route to a designated area, rather than scrambling around.
How will you communicate?
This is something to consider especially if the only form of communication you have in your cell phone. Do you have an alternative method? Did you know that messages and emails still work even if you can’t make a call? Did you know that Line was created as an alternative way for communicating during natural disasters? It was first created in the summer of 2011 but has skyrocketed in popularity around the globe. Initially, as a messenger it was ok, but when they introduced line friends and the other cute characters it became extremely popular. In South Korea, you can find just about any product here with Line Friends on it including moisturizing face masks!
How to Get There
What modes of transportation are available to you? For us here we have trains, buses, taxies, and cars. We also have over 25 million people in this area whom we have to consider will also be reacting during any emergency situation. This means traffic, crowds, panic, and mayhem. By anticipating this, knowing the locations, routes, and hopefully being aware of usual times/places that get really crowded, you can plan accordingly.
Emergency Contacts
Who will you be calling during an emergency? Do they know they are your emergency contact? Do you have all their information easily accessible or memorized? Also, it would be a good idea to have an alternate emergency contact in case this individual is unavailable, or can’t be reached.
Conclusion
These are things that we consider because we have either experienced some of these events or been trained in it one way or another. It is always important to consider an exit strategy no matter where you are in life because things can change very fast without warning. Being SITUATIONALLY AWARE is by far the most important ability you should cultivate. I hope this was an informative post. If this was helpful to you in any way, please like, share, comment, subscribe to our website, Instagram @hartssurviving, and Facebook page Surviving Adventures.
The information I am sharing is readily available on public sites. Here are some other great resources:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
