evacuation go-bag

[hatidua]

After I had to evacuate for three different hurricanes when I lived in Florida, the contents of my go-bag/ditch-bag/BOB changed a bit. Somehow the hypothetical needs didn't always match up with reality.

For those that have recently had to leave home in a hurry due to the fires in CO, what things would be at the top of your list to have in a bag that was packed and ready should such a need arise?

[Great-Kazoo]

Copies of important paperwork [ins cards, Soc Card, etc] You should have a picture disc burned to document any loss claims, proof what you claimed actually exist.
If you are not bringing any pets, locator stickers so ems know where to look if they make it in time. where them eyeglasses.
Are your firearms secure?: Not so much they are loaded, as not everyone is able to load that much crap when more important items need to go.

PHONE CHARGER, Laptop or tablet one too. ANY meds you or family member need to take at prescribed times.
Once on the road you calling a few people to let them know you are heading out of an evac area.

[Omicron]

After I had to evacuate for three different hurricanes when I lived in Florida, the contents of my go-bag/ditch-bag/BOB changed a bit. Somehow the hypothetical needs didn't always match up with reality.

For those that have recently had to leave home in a hurry due to the fires in CO, what things would be at the top of your list to have in a bag that was packed and ready should such a need arise?

We had family who evacuated from the High Park fire and lived with us for 3 weeks. They're back home now, everything around them burned but their house and outbuildings survived. I know we all learned a lot about what to take and what not to, and how to be more ready for something like this in the future. As we discuss it, I'll post it here. In the mean time...

Important papers
Cell phone chargers
Laptops with chargers
List of phone numbers, both relatives and companies you do biz with (ie CC companies, banks, etc)
Photo albums
Keepsake or especially valuable jewelry
Keepsake items, such as grandma's ashes, grandpa's purple heart, etc
Cash, gold, silver, diamonds, etc
If you can afford a hotel for extended stay, gaming console/games for the kids. If not, toys, games, puzzles, anything to entertain them
Enough clothing for each family member for a week plus
Collars, leashes, and kennels for each pet

[Great-Kazoo]

We had family who evacuated from the High Park fire and lived with us for 3 weeks. They're back home now, everything around them burned but their house and outbuildings survived. I know we all learned a lot about what to take and what not to, and how to be more ready for something like this in the future. As we discuss it, I'll post it here. In the mean time...

Important papers
Cell phone chargers
Laptops with chargers
List of phone numbers, both relatives and companies you do biz with (ie CC companies, banks, etc)
Photo albums
Keepsake or especially valuable jewelry
Keepsake items, such as grandma's ashes, grandpa's purple heart, etc
Cash, gold, silver, diamonds, etc
If you can afford a hotel for extended stay, gaming console/games for the kids. If not, toys, games, puzzles, anything to entertain them
Enough clothing for each family member for a week plus
Collars, leashes, and kennels for each pet

Add to that vaccination / inoculation papers for you pets.

Up side is taking the time to prepare as needed. Down side is there will always be 1 item you forgot to take.

[ChadAmberg]

There's a GREAT PDF file from Colorado Springs that has all sorts of useful information, and a big section on bug out/emergency grab and go/keep in the car bags. One of the best I've seen actually.
http://www.springsgov.com/units/fire...ty%20Guide.pdf
Check it out, I was going to use it as a base for redoing our gear. Some of the things such as important documents, I recently scanned in everything into PDF files, saved them to a truecrypt encrypted drive, and stuck them out into the "cloud" for safe keeping.

With firearms, it's a little weird, since I think that officially you're not allowed into Red Cross shelters and such with a firearm, but I'd definitely want one. Since concealed means concealed, does anyone stash an old pistol with a couple magazines into some hidden pocket in your bag?

[hatidua]

Red Cross shelters

In the various incidents I've evacuated for, there have always been "shelters" set up for those leaving the disaster zone but I'm willing to drive far enough to find a motel with a vacant room, even if that is 400 miles away. Shelters would be my LAST resort, and if they don't take pets, I'll live with my pets in my SUV, I'm not leaving my dogs simply because the evac shelter has a no pets policy.

Prior to the three hurricanes I evacuated for in Florida, I think I gave too much weight to the standard list that so many people have for their BOB (a list perpetuated by online forums for those hoping for an end-of-world scenario). In reality, the things the that mattered most were decidedly not 500' of paracord/AR-15/five cases of 5.56, but instead were the computer hard drives and tedious to replace documents (passport, etc).

While many forums assume TEOTWAWKI scenarios, these natural disasters generally don't entail Mad Max situations....unless you happen to live in Haiti.

A spare jug of water, full tank of gas in the car, and one spare t-shirt is pretty handy. Machete and camping gear, not so much.

[kidicarus13]

Hey, you're kind of taking the fun away from the internet warriors that enjoy fantasizing about shooting looters at 300 yards to save their family and cache of food/ammo with your real life evacuation experience.

[ChadAmberg]

I've always found the fishing hooks and line to be rather... ridiculous. Or the first aid kits that have one of each kind of bandaid or one single pair of aspirin.
You're right about the premade lists overall. I count them as a good start to be greatly modified by your situation.

[Irving]

I feel like fishing stuff is probably more suitable for an INCH bag or a camping bag, than a BOB.

Also, I tried to pack up my BOB for an over night trip this last weekend, and found that I dumped a lot of stuff from the BOB, in order to make room for the stuff that I carry in my briefcase every day back and forth to work. Packing up a bag with the idea of having to rough it in the woods for a week just to survive for a week is fun, but when you plan on coming back home and just need to try and maintain your life with as little changes as possible, the contents of the bag change to things that are much different.

[HoneyBadger]

There's a GREAT PDF file from Colorado Springs that has all sorts of useful information, and a big section on bug out/emergency grab and go/keep in the car bags. One of the best I've seen actually.
http://www.springsgov.com/units/fire...ty%20Guide.pdf

The supplied link didn't work, but I found this on the website. Is this an updated link to the same PDF?
http://www.springsgov.com/Files/Prep...uide10_web.pdf
Either way, this booklet has a ton of useful information for REAL situations, not "the sky is falling and we're going back to homesteading" theoretical talk.