So here’s what I am thinking…Something happens, anything, doesn’t matter really. The question stands…How fast could you leave your house and be prepared?

Yeah, I know, you want to ask me, “Prepared for what?” I am saying, it doesn’t matter. I am asking you, “How long would it take you to leave your house and be prepared?”

Now, if you can’t answer the question, then you aren’t prepared enough. Yes, it is a fair question, and I believe it is a fair observation to say that if you can’t answer the question, or you have lots of trouble answering directly, then you aren’t really prepared enough.

Here’s what I am getting at…If I had to leave the house “prepared” I could do it in about 3 – 5 minutes. I could handle all of the top threats/risks associated with emergencies, disasters, and grid-down incidents for 45 – 90 days minimum. Probably a lot more if I knew I had to stretch it out. Yes! I am serious about that.

We have two basic locations for those things we would take. They are grouped according to “perishable” and “non-perishable” stuff. While the food that is ready to go is really non-perishable, it is food and it lasts much longer in a more climate controlled environment so it is in the house. The “gear” I consider non-perishable.

The food, including seeds, is located in the kitchen right next to the door that goes to the garage. The gear is located in the garage next to the large double-car garage door. Both locations are easily accessed, nothing restricting access, and can be accessed from the outside with minimal effort if you know what you are doing.

There are total of four cases of six #10 cans each all freeze dried food, plus two 6gal plastic buckets of freeze dried food pouches. Then a single 2gal plastic bucket of seeds. In the garage there are four large totes and six small totes that make-up my primary GOOD BOB gear. All of that gear mitigates all, yes all, of the threats/risk categories for incidents. And I can have all of that loaded correctly in the bed of my pick-up or my wife’s SUV within minutes. If I had to just throw it in the vehicles I can do that too, so I could probably reduce it to 2 minutes if I really hustled or had my wife’s help and wasn’t worried about it being neatly packed.

In the event that I had more time I could then go to my secondary totes and food boxes. And I won’t bore you to death on the details but it would significantly increased my survival time and comfort level.

But, why the heck am I even asking you this question and giving you my example?

Because I want to think about your situation and the time it would take for you to be mobile in a crisis situation.

Yes, of course you could shelter in place is needed, we all know that. But I was wanting to prompt you about “having” to leave in a hurry…could you do it and take the basics with you?

And this is really not about the time required, the vehicle, or anything along those lines. This “prompt” is about organization more than anything. Are you organized enough to get your food and gear out the door quickly if you needed to?

Here is one of the problems I see with preppers…their organization is not properly thought out. Yeah, “properly” being the operative word here. They may be organized, however, the method they use may well not be a practical methodology for many situations.

I have seen incredibly organized preppers while visiting their homes. I have been seriously impressed many times by the sheer volume of food and gear. But, I have seldom, almost never, seen their preps organized in such a fashion to allow for graduated movement. Meaning, they can take a limited number of containers and still have a wide variety of what they need. Mostly I see box after box of wheat, then box after box of oats. And that goes on and on, even a whole box full of candles…but not a single match in the box of candles or a can opener in a case of food.

What I want to propose to you is a reorganizing of food and gear. Place a variety of food in each box. That provides you with a decent quantity and variety of food…even if you can only grab that one box before you have to leave. Same is true for gear. Have a few primary containers with gear in each that provides for the most basic of needs should you have to leave your home.

In the coming days I will be posting additional articles in this series that will show you how I’ve done it. You might like my system, you might not. But, it may get you thinking of what is the right system for you and your situation. And that is a good thing, a very good thing.

Where I want you to end up is the ability to leave your home in minimal time, under 10 minutes, and have the right food and gear to get by on. Sure, if you have plenty of advanced notice you can take it all, that is the ideal situation. But, emergency incidents are rarely “ideal.”

2016 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
See Content Use Policy for more information.