BOB Test Run - Report #3 (Final)

Even though this test run on the Bug Out Bag was not a full 72 hours (thank goodness), it was still long enough to see where I was lacking in my preparedness for such a time when I might need to do a full 72 hour or longer run.

The food held up well and could have gone further, but with an end in sight and knowing this was a test, the portions were a little larger and we ate more frequently than if we were in a real life situation.

This is what this weekend was all about so I paid special attention and documented the things that were missing and that made me say, "I wished I had..." or " I should have brought..."

These are the things I will be adding to the BOB;

• 2-LED head lamps.
• Baby wipes.
• Serving Spoon. 
• 2-Trash Bags 
• 2-Two man dome tents. 

The items I will be adding to the truck will be;

• Sleeping bags, mainly for warmth and comfort.
• Compact cook stove, because tending a fire all day was energy draining. 
• Extra collapsible water bottle, so I don't have to refill the one I have every couple of hours.
• 2 more thin blankets, It got down in the 30's and the tin foil blankets were not enough.
• A larger water boiling pot, The small one in the BOB I have does not hold enough.
• A 1'X1' piece of Diamond grate, to set the pots on over the hot coals so I can cook like on a grill.
• Empty pillow cases, They can be used to carry items when my truck has to be abandon and to stuff with leaves for pillows at night. 

The area we were at was a camp ground. We did cheat by using their water, but hauled it to our camp site in the collapsible bottle. I felt there was no reason to waste our water tablets or use the filters on just a test. We have them and would use then if need be. 

Another good thing about this weekend was we had the time as a family to go over our evacuation plans and meeting places. We discussed many "What if's" and worked on several issues we could foresee if the need was to happen. With one girl being so far away a college, this was a must.

There was one point as the kids and wife were listening and looking at me while I talked, I paused and asked myself, "What are you doing?" 

I stopped and looked around at some of the other campers that were close by and they were having fun. They had nice campers or huge cabin tents with all comforts of home. This is the way we like to camp but, here we were with flimsy tube tents held up by a string, cold, dirty, eating food from a box and not really enjoying it at all talking about a doomsday that might not ever happen. 

As people walked by they would stop and stare, some even pointing. I felt like I was an exhibit at the zoo. 

I almost threw in the towel right then and drove the 30 minutes back to get the camper.  

"Daaaad, you were saying?" One of the girls said snapping me out of my defeated trance like state. 

Without pause I said "Do you see them over there?  They have it 100 times better than us right now, but believe it or not if the situation we are testing for was real, we would have it 100 times better than them".

Then I asked "Do you know why?"

Without hesitation one answered back, "Because we would be alive".

After that we started to have fun. There was always something to do, something to clean, something to cook, the fire needs wood, my tent is falling down, why don't we have a hammock, lets go down to the water, I want to go hiking. 

Then it felt more like camping and not so much as survival.

It was good, but next time I am going to be sleeping in the camper with the heater.