Safe Places

The world we live in is crazy and at a moments notice, it could all change. The truth is, no matter where you live, we are all susceptible to natural disasters, diseases, and financial downturns. Because we all have these vulnerabilities, we should each establish a safe place both within our house and a distance away from our home. In every emergency plan a safe place is outlined where those involved should go to seek refuge. In earthquakes we flock to doorways, under tables, or outside. In fires go to the neighbors house, just across the street, or the big tree by the light post. If a tornado or earthquake hit do you know where you would go? What about in the event that there is civil unrest or something worse? Would you hunker down or hit the road? These are serious questions we all need to ask ourselves. If you lived in Ferguson, MO what would you have done?

For the most part, emergencies happen in our homes. Weathering storms and other natural disasters, losing a job, and most other situations requiring preparedness will happen at home, or they it will happen somewhere that you have your vehicle close by. This is why it is important to create a safe place in your home and have a bug out kit in your vehicle. Ideally pick out a room in your house that is a central room with no windows. Basements are great, but if you don't have one, you can improvise. If you don't have a spare room that you can store things in, consider making a closet a storage area and have everything in it easy to move to a bathroom or another safe location. Make this space like a room size safe. Keep important documents there. Another good spot for important documents is in the freezer. They will generally be protected from fire in the freezer and you are less likely to lose them. Keep a gun and ammo in this room, along with your 72 hr. kit, food, water, first aid kit, and you may even want to consider making a box that is EMP proof and store some electronics in it like old phones, an external hardrive, hand crank cell phone chargers and flashlights, a ham radio, and the list goes on! Bottom line, make this room your safe room where if the rest of your house got wiped out, you would have everything you need in this one place. I'm not saying put it all in one place, because it's a good idea to have more than one of many of these things, but have at least one of everything in a central location.

I suggest making a grab and go kit as well. Go to a thrift store or garage sale and find some old luggage with wheels on it that you can store a food grab and go and a supply grab and go case. Its a good idea to keep important documents and other survival supplies like a water filter, fire starter kit, knives, something to cook with, rope, compass, first aid kit, gun, extra cash, and whatever else you deem necessary in your grab and go case. You should be able to fit at least a good week's worth of food in a case. Then you should have a 3rd case with clothing for all seasons but especially make sure you have winter clothing. The farmer's almanac this year is predicting a colder than normal winter for most of the U.S. and we all saw the chilling effects of the polar vortex last year. Be prepared! You never know when you might have to bug out.

Since the possibility of bugging out exists, where would you go? How would you get there? If that route was compromised do you have an alternate, or an alternate safe place? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves. Mom's house might sound like a great idea if she lives in a big city, you live in the country, and an ice storm is headed your way, but if there was a huge disaster and all the inner city folks are looking for food, being in town is not a good idea. What if you had to go out of state? The truth is that there are a million and one possibilities of what could happen. Plan on a couple of options and evaluate them. Ask every question you can think of and categorize each place so that when disaster strikes, you have a plan and you know where you are going to go and how to get there.