|
|
| Post Number: 1
|
TrailTramper 
Group: Members
Posts: 1288
Joined: Sep. 2009
|
 |
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 10:03 am |
|
   |
I'm curious how far backpackers go with your hurricane preparation in case of evacuation. Normally I would have a daypack packed with food, water, money, important papers, maybe a few more items.
But thinking back to Katrina and the number of people in shelters for an extended period, I'm wondering about more survival preparation. But where do you draw the line? Tent? Sleeping bag? Mattress?
Personally, once the rain stops, if I had to evacuate I would much rather be in my tent than in a shelter.
|
 |
|
|
| Post Number: 2
|
BradMT
Group: Members
Posts: 3410
Joined: May 2005
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 10:11 am |
|
 |
(TrailTramper @ Oct. 28 2012, 8:03 am)
QUOTE I'm curious how far backpackers go with your hurricane preparation in case of evacuation. Normally I would have a daypack packed with food, water, money, important papers, maybe a few more items.
But thinking back to Katrina and the number of people in shelters for an extended period, I'm wondering about more survival preparation. But where do you draw the line? Tent? Sleeping bag? Mattress?
Personally, once the rain stops, if I had to evacuate I would much rather be in my tent than in a shelter.
One of my favorite memories from my misspent youth was being battened-down for three days right at timberline in the Presidential's when a big hurricane drove up the coast in August of 1976... winds were over 100 mph. In places there was 2' of water on the trail and I'll not soon forget seeing the gnarled titans that pass for trees there doubled over to the ground under the heavy wind.
--------------
Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty. – Socrates
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 3
|
TrailTramper
Group: Members
Posts: 1288
Joined: Sep. 2009
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 10:33 am |
|
|
Here's my list for a 35L emergency pack:
35L BACKPACK
standard 10+-item emergency kit
small nylon tarp
water
food
radio
flashlight & headlamp
batteries
whistle
wallet, money
plastic bags
cell phone, charger
personal items
2 handkerchiefs
important papers in plastic bag
clothes: raincoat, rainhat, gloves, fleece, extra pants, shirt, socks
eating: cup, bowl, spoon, fork, jacknife
notebook, pen
laptop
If things look bad I might add these to a 55L pack:
sleeping bag
mattress
tent
stove
Pot, cover
seat
3'x'3 sheet of plastic
Assuming that you have use of your car, weight of the items isn't a issue, so I'm thinking, why not take the sleeping bag etc. Of course, in a real disaster you can't count on your car.
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 4
|
bad knees
Group: Members
Posts: 2382
Joined: May 2007
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 11:20 am |
|
|
Won't fit in a pack. I don't evacuate. No need. But I have a genreator, gas, food, water, lots of each. Good for a week anyway.
--------------
There's a story behind that!
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 5
|
leadbelly2550
Group: Members
Posts: 1042
Joined: Apr. 2009
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 11:48 am |
|
|
don't forget water filtration/treatment, assume it's in there though not on the list. i don't have an emergency escape plan. we do have a natural gas-powered generator, though.
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 6
|
|
|
| Post Number: 7
|
wildlifenate
Group: Members
Posts: 5830
Joined: Jul. 2004
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 5:44 pm |
|
|
for a hurricane, I'm not thinking of a kit that I can keep in a pack because a hurricane should not be a surprise. chances are, when one hits, you will be home. Things I am thinking about:
1. loss of power
2. flooding. I live on top of a hill more than a hundred miles inland, so flooding means I get cut off. no storm surge to worry about.
3. wind damage brings down many trees, contributing to extended power outages and road closures
there are some things you should have at your house to deal with that.
1. food. eat perishable food in the fridge/freezer first. eat the shelf stable stuff in your pantry last.
2. water. fill your bathtub before the storm hits. have bottles/jugs. have a filter/purifier.
3. power. a generator helps a lot. not absolutely necessary, but can allow you to run the fridge/freezer longer so you waste less of your perishable food. can also give you enough juice to run a radio and keep a fan running. also, make sure you have batteries. whatever sizes you need for flashlights, radios, etc. a way to charge your cell phone if that's your only phone.
4. some non-electrical way to cook food. keeping a couple of propane cylinders to run the grill, extra fuel for your bp stoves, wood for a wood stove, whatever. also useful for severe winter weather for heating.
5. if we are talking about a katrina magnitude event, I'm thinking of home defense. because I am high and dry, my home may be a target for looters.
6. living in a wooded area with lots of trees, I'm also thinking about beginning repairs to minimize overall damage. if trees fall on or near my house, I will want to begin cutting them up. the ones I can, anyway. I also want tarps in case I need to cover a big hole in my roof. a ladder big enough to get onto the roof will be necessary.
7. I need gasoline to run any generators or power tools I intend to use. Hand tools in case my fuel runs out are also important.
8. I need to have a stocked first aid kit.
If I have to evacuate, then my kit will be a minimized version of the above.
Food, water will be most important.
Shelter won't be such a big deal. a tent is not going to be all that useful in a hurricane. given that I will probably be evacuating in my car, it will suffice for shelter for the most part. if I have room, tossing a tent in there might be useful if I have to stay away from home for awhile. but chances are, I will end up finding a shelter or friends to stay with eventually.
I will want my own bedding. backpacking gear will work great for that. easy to grab, small to pack.
first aid kit, lights, batteries, cell phone, radio, identification and cash, stuff like that. I am not worried about other "important papers" at that point. some spare gasoline for the car. possibly even an extra empty can. evac routes can get clogged with traffic and gas stations along the route can go empty. a spare 5gal of gas can get me another 150+mi down the road.
standard hurricane evacuations are pretty orderly, but if it's not a standard event, I am thinking about personal protection. anytime there are desperate people. and that'd be the case if evacuation has to be done without the car.
--------------
The GPS Geek
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 8
|
TrailTramper
Group: Members
Posts: 1288
Joined: Sep. 2009
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 7:04 pm |
|
|
Nate, I posted this question in gear thinking about the possibility that a person's home would no longer be habitable due to flooding, fallen trees, or whatever. So wood for the woodstove etc yes, but I wonder what should go in your car or a backpack if you have to flee. Worst-case scenario would be you get in your car, roads are blocked, you run out of gas, have to continue on foot. Or a tree falls on your car. Worst worst scenario would be that all happening in winter.
But also, I would hate to have to spend any time in a shelter. I'm thinking it would be better to be self-sufficient, and that backpackers would be a step ahead with their gear and skills.
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 9
|
wildlifenate
Group: Members
Posts: 5830
Joined: Jul. 2004
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 7:24 pm |
|
|
(TrailTramper @ Oct. 28 2012, 6:04 pm)
QUOTE Nate, I posted this question in gear thinking about the possibility that a person's home would no longer be habitable due to flooding, fallen trees, or whatever. So wood for the woodstove etc yes, but I wonder what should go in your car or a backpack if you have to flee. Worst-case scenario would be you get in your car, roads are blocked, you run out of gas, have to continue on foot. Or a tree falls on your car. Worst worst scenario would be that all happening in winter.
But also, I would hate to have to spend any time in a shelter. I'm thinking it would be better to be self-sufficient, and that backpackers would be a step ahead with their gear and skills.
regardless of your intentions, the fact of the matter is that most people never leave their homes when a hurricane passes through. the ones that do leave their homes do so primarily because they are in a storm surge risk area.
I am not in a storm surge risk area (which I mentioned in the opening of my post), and for that matter I live so far inland that the intensity of a storm's winds will have dropped significantly by the time it reaches me.
in fact, my city is on the evacuation route for Houston. so I'm likely to wind up with refugees in the city shelter (which just got a major upgrade this year).
I gave a list of things I would do given my situation. evac would be a rare event for me, but I included it because you asked. still, more likely is that I would hole up and be without power for awhile. maybe be isolated by flooding for a short time.
--------------
The GPS Geek
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 10
|
jmarklane
Group: Members
Posts: 218
Joined: Jul. 2012
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 7:32 pm |
|
|
Here in NY, we don't do much "extra", because (at least in my house) we are pretty well set all the time. Lanterns, heaters and cookstoves of all sorts, plus plenty of fuel for all of them. Lots of water (I keep 5 gal bottles for my beer making). Plenty of dried foods. We keep tons of batteries around, and I upped all the flashlights yesterday. Candles galore, plus all kinds of boat stuff (lights, stoves etc) that works well in emergencies. Tends to be, when things go down (as last Oct when we had that ridiculous snowstorm and the entire block was powerless for a week), everyone comes to me for help. (Alas)
My only real worry is, we are surrounded by huge old trees. One of them comes down on the house... could be serious trouble. During the worst of things, we gather (and sleep and cook) in the basement. House is made largely of stone so probably safe down there. Plus...that's where I keep my beer and my kegerator. 
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 11
|
CharlesTheHammer
Group: Members
Posts: 241
Joined: Jan. 2011
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 7:45 pm |
|
|
I went ahead and topped off my rechargeable batteries like probably everyone else has done, and made sure I have extra alkaline batteries, etc. Got our flashlights ready. Got my propane stove ready with extra propane. Bought extra spring water. Wen to get extra groceries.
They were saying the storm might hit Atlantic city NJ dead on, and if it does, that means its hitting northeast of us. We are fairly close to the mid Chesapeake, but not close enough to be flooded with bay water or anything.
We'll see what happens......
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 12
|
TDale
Group: Members
Posts: 13147
Joined: Jun. 2005
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 7:56 pm |
|
|
I've always thought a gallon of rum to be a necessity. Plenty of limes, too.
Not making light. I know some rough weather is coming to some. Be safe, be prepared. We're essentially the best prepared survivalists out there.
--------------
"Sure as I know anything, I know this - they will try again...They'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more runnin'. I aim to misbehave."
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 13
|
Nubster
Group: Members
Posts: 72
Joined: May 2009
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 28 2012, 7:58 pm |
|
|
Today I stocked up on plenty of batteries, we bought some canned goods to supplement what we had, bought a bunch of dehydrated foods and some boxed stuff, Ramon noodles ect. Right now I am in the process of canning a bunch of chicken I had in the fridge, I'll probably go to the store and buy more and can it tomorrow as well. Figure I like canned chicken, so it's not a big deal to eat it in the coming weeks if we don't need it this week, and I know that my family will be supplied with a solid supply of meat over the course of the storm in case we loose power and for any extended amount of time. Water is covered, three cases of bottled, 12 gallons in my beer brewing buckets, several 18+ gallon Rubbermaid totes will be filled tomorrow, probably fill up a few additional 5 gallon buckets for non-potable use like flushing the toilet.
I think for the most part, we are good to go. Guess we just need to hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 14
|
GlenG
Group: Members
Posts: 1384
Joined: Oct. 2009
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 29 2012, 7:09 am |
|
|
I filled my propane bottles and have 6 gallons of water on hand. I also have enough batteries for headlamps for a long time. I expect to lose power for maybe 3 days. I have plenty of food as well. Fortunately, its not that cold now, so heat will not be a concern. And I don't expect to be flooded. I am as ready as I can be. It will be like car camping, with much better accomodations.
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 15
|
|
|
| Post Number: 16
|
JRinGeorgia
Group: Members
Posts: 298
Joined: Jul. 2012
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 29 2012, 9:54 am |
|
|
I agree that unless you are in a high risk flood area and are ordered to evacuate you are best to stay at home. Another at-home tip: fill a bathtub before the storm, you'll have lots of water for drinking/cooking in case the water system floods and drinking supply becomes contaminated.
But...TT's question was about preparedness specifically "in case of evacuation," and that does happen so it's a valid question and very different from what to do if you're stuck at home. For evac I agree BPers are better prepared, my suggestion is grab all your gear that will fit in your vehicle (assuming you will be evacuating under your own power, not being rescued from your roof by boat). Better to bring too much than not enough. Don't know that you would be able to find a spot to put a tent, but better to have it and it shouldn't take up much space.
--------------
- JRinGeorgia
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 17
|
bad knees
Group: Members
Posts: 2382
Joined: May 2007
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 29 2012, 12:17 pm |
|
|
(no_granola @ Oct. 29 2012, 9:29 am)
QUOTE
(bad knees @ Oct. 28 2012, 11:20 am)
QUOTE Won't fit in a pack. I don't evacuate. No need. But I have a genreator, gas, food, water, lots of each. Good for a week anyway. Same here, minus the water. My generator runs the well pump. I also include lots of beer.
Only thing wrong with that is if a tree comes down and busts a water pipe that feeds the house. A new plastic 30 gal trash can is always a good idea for water.
--------------
There's a story behind that!
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 18
|
|
|
| Post Number: 19
|
wildlifenate
Group: Members
Posts: 5830
Joined: Jul. 2004
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 29 2012, 3:36 pm |
|
|
there's always some idiot who doesn't secure all the junk in their backyard.
Trampoline blown from Sandy
--------------
The GPS Geek
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 20
|
skinewmexico
Group: Members
Posts: 1878
Joined: Sep. 2008
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 29 2012, 4:49 pm |
|
|
The perfect way to store water in your bathtub - Water Bob
--------------
Con men understand that their job is not to use facts to convince skeptics but to use words to help the gullible to believe what they want to believe. - Thomas Sowell
|
|
|
|
| Post Number: 21
|
|
|
| Post Number: 22
|
|
|
| Post Number: 23
|
ImmortalBen
Group: Members
Posts: 73
Joined: Oct. 2012
|
|
Posted on: Oct. 30 2012, 11:16 am |
|
|
I think my evac kit would only differ from a regular bp trip in that I would take extra first aid (to help others who might need it), extra batteries for my headlamp, and extra fuel for the Jetboil.
Maybe different clothes for inclement weather, as I generally do not need rain gear where I live.
--------------
Don't protect yourself to death.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
