Image this: You’re at work, it’s late in the day and something terrible happens. There’s a terrorist attack in the nearest major city. No word on just how bad, details are limited, all you know is that a truck bomb went off next to a Government building. Fearing that the truck bomb may have in fact been a dirty bomb you decide to evacuate your family immediately.

What do you do next? Do you call your loved ones and start going down a laundry of things to pack, things to buy and tasks to complete? I hope not.

 We all have “non-believers” in our lives. They’re the relatives who say things like “there goes crazy aunt/uncle (your name here)…” While we can’t force these people to prepare we can make their abrupt transition (via catastrophic event) a little smoother by putting things in place that will help to ensure their survival.

 What I have done, as I’m sure many people have, is created a series of bins that contain essential survival gear. The beauty of these bins is that if you have to hide or mask what you’re doing, everything in them looks like camping gear. So if you’re single and have roommates or if you’re significant other is getting tired of your constant prepping, to them you’re just organizing the camping gear. Another advantage is that since no one is going camping without you, there’s little risk that anyone from your family is going to go through them in your absence.  

 I’m not going to list out everything to put in them, there’s a plethora of resources and everyone has their own needs. Some things to keep in mind though are:

• Don’t pack it so heavy that only you can pick it up.
• Remember who you’re packing for.. Keep it simple.
• Number the bins with #1 having the highest priority and the most essential supplies.
• Provide necessary instructions as you see fit.
• Don’t forget phone numbers, pictures, and copies of important documents.
• Always have a contingency plan.

 So now, when you call your loved one to tell them you’re okay, all you have to do is say “go to the garage and grab the bins numbered 1, 2 and 3 and take them to ____” I’ll meet you there..

Stay safe.