So, you have your bug-out bag and it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread; everything is locked, loaded, and ready–to–roll. You are at work when a crisis breaks out. The disaster itself is not important, all you know is that you have to bug–out immediately. You call your wife and realize that she is on her way to pick up the kids from school. You tell her to meet you at a pre–set rendezvous point. You then realize that your bug-out bag is in the garage. The problem is that your house is on the other side of town. You have to take a major highway which is experiencing bumper–to–bumper traffic or local streets which are jammed even worse. So, what do you do?

If your answer was “grab spare bug–out bag from trunk and meet family at rendezvous,” you have probably done this before. This is just one small example of how preparing for a disaster is different than most of our daily activities. A disaster yields no easy answers. We are all a little too used to the Hollywood solution where our hero solves a problem out of thin air. Reality is different. Reality is about preparation. Preparing multiple bug-out bags is the only way we can prepare for flooded roads, inaccessible homes and other unforeseen events.

Thinking about locations you will always or usually have good access to at different times of the day should cover and protect you from events such as our example.

The final and perhaps most important step is to remain calm. Every disaster is worsened by human behavior. Most often, this behavior is a result of panic and fear.

All the preparation and all the bug–out bags on the planet will be worthless in an instant if you fail to remain calm and level-headed. It is absolutely normal to feel fear and apprehension, especially during drastic moments. This is no excuse for erratic behavior, however. It is paramount to put yourself in the frame of mind where you can be solid and dependable. You will have to depend upon yourself and will likely have others depending on you as well.

Do not think for a moment that you will be able to depend on anyone else other than yourself.