A Bug out Bag for your kid

My daughter is heading off to college in Tennessee this summer and it is a little over a 14 drive from my house to her new school. So that got me thinking of what kind of emergency bag she will need to have in her car being so far from home and all. Now, a firearm is out of the question simply because she will be on a college campus as well as traversing many different states going back and forth. As much as I would like her to have one, I don't think it's practical at the moment. So going forward I will be putting together a list of equipment and the bag it will be going in, and share it with all of you here. I'll include the links for purchasing the gear, how much I paid for it, and some pictures of the whole kit and kaboodle as we go along.

So lets start with the bag, or back-pack. In discussing this with some other prepper type folks, the question came up "Well, what's this bag for?". My answer was simple emergencies, being stuck on the road, or having to get home in the event that the whole country comes unglued and she feels the need to head back to NJ. (Although truth be told, I'd tell her to stay in Tennessee, we'll come to her.) So that leads to the question of having to carry the bag for a long period of time. I still lean towards a bag with a shoulder strap, but my pals are trying to convince me that a back pack would be more suitable, and the little lady thinks so as well.

So, I chose a Maxpedition MERLIN™ Folding Backpack for the bug out bag that will go with my daughter to Tennessee. Mainly because it can be carried easily and this particular bag has lots of functionality. Although I would say shop around to see what kind of deals you can get.

Next came the list of "ingredients".

• Flashlight
• spare batteries. Check out this spare battery holder I found from County Comm.
• A prepared First Aid Kit, available on line or from your local camping store. Choose the size you feel appropriate.
• Space Blanket
• 2 Rolls of Quarters
• 1 Roll of dollar Coins
• 50 Feet of Para cord
• 1 Liter of bottled water
• Matches / Fire Starter
• Compass
• 12v trouble light w/cig. lighter plug
• Knife
• Pad and Pencil
• Whistle
• Emergency mirror

That's about it. Although I find that when I build a kit like this, laying it all out on the table in front of me usually leads to modifications in the ingredients of the kit.

Why don't you think about building some kits for your car, office, and around the house. Large or small they can make a difference when stuff collides with the fan. Check out lists over at The Big List.