Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

greenbee wrote: »

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the St. Albans sinkhole... We've been talking a lot about bugging in rather than out in the event of civil unrest etc, so it might be worth reconsidering what to do in the event of being evacuated due to fire/flood/gas leak/sinkholes (not sure the last 3 are likely to apply to Mar...)

I was giving it some thought. As in, the importance of having a BOB to grab and run with in those circumstances. And wondering when the utiilities will be got up and running on the other street (the one which lost gas, leccy and water as a result of the sinkhole but isn't the one with the hole itself).

And wondering how the heck you will ever sleep at night, even when the dadblasted thing is mended, and how devalued your property is now that this has happened. The geology under my city is prone to sinkholes, surveyors reassure me. I'm so glad I rent rather than own when I hear things like that.

My BOB is based on the likeliest scenario being something of this nature; my tower block being rendered out-of-bounds at short notice. It's happened on more than one occasion in the past to this tower (gas explosion) and has happened to other towers (flooding). My BOB contains a complete change of outer clothing, something to sleep in, a camping towel, 3 sets undies and socks, toiletries, essential meds, documents and cash. The idea is that I could set myself up in a hotel or on a friend's couch. There is a second bag containing another set of clothes, including a jacket, and another toiletry bag, in the allotment shed.

It isn't a perfect solution, but would get me over the initial bump of dislocation with no notice.

Frugalsod

Have you considered another bug out bag at work in case an event happens while you are at work? If that were to happen then you may not have access to the bag at home.

Also it might be useful to have PDF's of important documents on a thumb drive or on your phone as a back up.

ivyleaf

I've thought a lot about this very thing since hearing about the sinkhole. Those poor people, having to just get out at once with no time to work out what to take with them

Do you get the clothing out of the BOB from time to time to exchange it for a fresh lot, and wear the ones that have been in the bag? If underwear is left for ages in a bag the elastic/Lycra will die in storage.

I have thought of having an "emergency rushed-into-hospital bag" (not that I'm expecting either of us to be, but neither did my DD and it's happened to her twice), but I can't feel I can buy an extra nightdress just to keep in a bag. Perhaps just an emergency spongebag/washbag/toilet bag whatever you like to call it? And a cheap pair of slippers, and grab (or tell someone else to grab) a nightdress from the drawer if the worst happens?

GreyQueen

Frugalsod wrote: »

Have you considered another bug out bag at work in case an event happens while you are at work? If that were to happen then you may not have access to the bag at home.

Also it might be useful to have PDF's of important documents on a thumb drive or on your phone as a back up.

I have hardcopy backups at my family home, including receipts for all my big ticket items, so I could prove I owned them for an insurance claim in event of total loss i.e. fire/ flood. I also have a thumbdrive in the BOB backing up these docs. I keep my former (cancelled) passport among my back-up docs at the family home, and will be adding to that my expired driver's license. I'll be renewing that online later today and, although if you renew it via snail mail, you have to send the old license off, there's no mention of this if you choose the online option.

I also have a copy of my glasses prescription in the BOB and at the family home.

Unfortunately, my workplace isn't compatible with storing stuff as I haven't any desk drawers and my locker is one of those only a few inches square. I do keep some emergency meds in there, and also have a considerable amount of useful stuff in the workbag, which includes underwear and a basic washkit, torches, mobile charger, first aid kit, small sewing kit.

Ivyleaf, yes, good point, I will be having the clothing out of both bags in the next few months, to wear, launder and check over. Elastic isn't immortal. The contents of the BOB, clothing-wise, are aimed at getting me through a short-term crisis. Basic toiletries plus a few changes of undies can make life a lot easier.

Re having a hospital bag, I think it's a good idea. Could you have something like a small holdall/ airline carry-on bag (cheaply available in the chazzer if you haven't one already) with a basic washkit and spare nightie and thin dressing-gown? The latter two can be sourced cheaply secondhand, I have seen them in unused condition at the chazzers, so you wouldn't tie up much money. Plus little comforts like a tube of handcream, lip-balm, a secondhand paperback? A purse with a small amount of cash?

If you felt that you really couldn't tie these items up, could you have a packing list put somewhere prominently, listing whereabouts of the items, so that someone could pack a bag for you in a hurry?

Runcorn_Bridge

I try and sort my Go Bag twice a year to change winter jumpers to summer tee shirts etc. (It never happens BTW)
Once a friend was here decorating so decided to use the time to do just that. I had a break and said "I hope the balloon doesn't go up right now as I've just emptied the Go Bag, you know, change of season thing"
He looked at me very strangely so I explained further. Turned out he thought I meant 'a change of fashion' type of season and imagined that I would be the best dressed evacuee ever.:rotfl:

As to night wear, no way, I can't think of a scenario where I would be changing into pyjamas in an evac centre.

GreyQueen

I have a base layer, black leggings and a black top, which could function as pjs. This is distinct from the lightweight outdoorsy trousers and top (all from chazzers) and the microfleece in the BOB. In this city, a whole council tower block was evacuated in a hurry and people were put up in hotels and B&Bs for weeks. In those cases, something to sleep in would have added to personal comfort.

But no, I wouldn't be changing down into pjs in a crowded hall of strangers...... :rotfl:

mardatha

My main worry is wind - the roof blowing off or the windows coming in. We get hellish gales up here sometimes. I suppose that trying to rummage round looking for stuff in a force 10 gale in your roofless house wouldn't be easy!

Frugalsod

mardatha wrote: »

My main worry is wind - the roof blowing off or the windows coming in. We get hellish gales up here sometimes. I suppose that trying to rummage round looking for stuff in a force 10 gale in your roofless house wouldn't be easy!

So Jelly baby bandits are not high on your list of things to prep for?

I think that for each of us the biggest risks can be very different. It is best to prep for events that you are most likely to experience. Though preparing a checklist for other events would also be a sensible thing to do.

GreyQueen

Checklists, compiled with time and space to think through the needs, are an invaluable tool. Knowing you have a checklist for a situation, and were you can drop your hands on it in seconds, would be a real comfort in a crisis, where panic can cause sub-ideal choices.

Those of us who have considered what we'd do if we had to run out of our homes in the middle of the night in an emergency are probably a minority of the population.

I used to be acquainted with a fireman who had given hard thought to his family's safety both at home and when on holiday. Such as not staying in hotel rooms higher than emergency ladders can reach, always taking portable smoke detectors on holiday, and checking and drilling the family on emergency escape routes out of the hotel - including making sure that the fire doors would open.

Have just done my driving license renewal online and I do have to cut up and post DVLA my old license, dammit.:rotfl:

Frugalsod

Preparing checklists for many things can be very handy. Pilots use them to check every thing prior to landing and they are now rolling out the idea in hospitals for surgery. It eliminates the mistakes.

My plans for check lists are for emergency and travel. You can prepare a check list for what to take and what to make sure that everything is simplified. How many people have turned up at an airport without a passport or something just as crucial?